The Plane Below: Secrets of the Elemental Chaos: A 4th Edition D&D Supplement

THE PLANE BELOW

Secrets of the Elemental Chaos

ROLEPLAYING GAME SUPPLEMENT Ari Marmell • Bruce R. Cordell • luke Johnson

CRED1TS

Design

Ari Marmell (lead),

Bruce R. Cordell, Luke Johnson,

Stephen Radney-MacFarland

Development

Peter Schaefer (lead),

Stephen Radney-MacFarland, Chris Sims

Editing Jennifer Clarke Wilkes (lead), M. Alexander Jurkat, Jessica Kristine Managing Editing Kim Mohan Director of D&D R&D and Book Publishing Bill Siavicsek D&D Creative Manager Christopher Perkins D&D Design Manager James Wyatt D&D Development and Editing Manager Andy Collins D&D Senior Art Director Jon Schindehette Art Director Mari Kolkowsky Cover Illustration Jesper Ejsing (front), Julie Dillon (back)

620 ·24 211000-001

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9 87 65 4321 Fir st Pri nting:

Decembe r 20 0 9 ISBN: 978-0 -7869 ·5249-6

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Graphic Designers Keven Smith, Leon Cortez, Emi Tanji Additional Graphic Design Mari Kolkowsky & Bob Jordan Interior Illustrations Dave Allsop, loltan Boros & Gabor Szikszai, Julie Dillon, Jason A. Engle, Jake Masbruch, Jim Nelson, Franz Vohwinkel, Eva Widermann, Eric L. Williams Cartographer Jason A. Engle Script Design Daniel Reeve Publishing Production Specialist Angelika Lokotz Prepress Manager Jefferson Dunlap Imaging Technician Ashley Brock Production Manager Cynda Callaway Game rules based on the original DUNGEONS & DRAGONS!!) rules created by E. Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson, and the later editions by David "leb" Cook (2nd Edition); Jonathan Tweet, Monte Cook, Skip Williams, Richard Baker, and Peter Adkison (3rd Edition); and IRob Heinsoo, Andy Collins, and James Wyatt (4~h Edition).

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I: CHAOS lNCARNATE . . ........ .. 4 The Basic Elements ... ....... . ... .. 6 Nature and Size . . . . . ....... . .... . 6 Elemental Realms ... .. .. . ... ... . 6 Elemental Buoyancy .. . .. ..... . .. . 6 Unstable Mutability .. . .... .... . .. 6 Optional Rule: Very Long Range . . 7 Traveling the Elemental Chaos.. . . . 8 Elemental Collision .. . . ....... .. 8 The Chaos Ship: Riding in Style. 10 Features of the Plane .. .. .... . . .. .. 11 Weather and Environmental Dangers ........ 11 Elemental Fantastic Terrain ... ... 12 Fantastic Terrain from Other Sources .. . . ............. 16 Elemental Hazards ..... . .. .. . . .. 18 Elemental Flexibility . . . ... .. . .. 19 Skill Challenges ......... .... . . ... 24 Bargaining with an Efreet . . . .. . .. 24 Reasoning with a Slaad ..... .. ... 2 S Reasoning with the Unreasonable ... . ...... . . 26 Repairing a Lightning Skiff .... ... 26 Sailing the Sea ofFire ........ . . . . 27 Campaign Arcs ....... . . .. . ..... .. 28 Hidden Elements...... .. . ....... 28 To Harness the Chaos . . . .. .. ... . 29 The Bigger They Are ... ...... .. . . 30 Planar Adventurers . . . . .......... 31 Adventures.... ......... ... . ...... 32 Adventure Hooks and Quests . ... 32 Patrons ...... . . ......... .. . . .... . 3S Shah Abdu l-Azim Abassi .. . . . . . . . 3 S The Stone Council. .. . . ...... . ... 36 Valaphyr .. ...... .. ... . .. .... .. . 36 Zat ........ . ... ..... ........... 37 Orders out of Chaos ... . ... ....... 37 The Cult of the Elder Elemental Eye.. .. . . . ... .. 37 The Grave-Minders .... . ... .. . . . . 39 The Speakers of Xaos .. ..... .. ... 40 Xaositects .... . . . . ... . . ... ... .. 41 Artifacts ...... . .. _..... . . ... . .... 42 Plastron ofTziphal .. ... .. ....... 42 The Mountain Builder ... . . .. .. . 43 Crystal of Ebon Flame . .. . . ... . . . 44 Wave . ....... .......... ... _.... 46

2: RACES OF CHAOS .. ... . . . .. . . 48 Archons ... . ... .... . . . ... ........ 50 Djinns ....... ...... . ..... ........ 52 Efreets . . . .... . .. ....... . . . . ...... 53 Mapping Chaos . . . ... . ... ... .. . S4 Change in the City of Brass .. . .. 5 S Genasi. . . . . . . . .......... . . ... . . .. S6 The Water Thief .... .... . .. . ... 57 Giants and Titans ... ... . . .. . . ... . . 58 The Battle of the Torn Plain ..... 58

Githzerai. . .. .. ..... . .. ...... ... . . 60 Slaads .. . ....... .. .......... .. .. . 62 Other Races ..... . . ... . .. . ... . .. .. 64

Dao ...... ......... .. . ... . ... ... 64 Demons . .......... .. . .... .. .. .. 64 Dwarves . .. .. .... . .. . . .. .. .. .. . 64 Elementals . . . .. . .. ... ...... . ... 65 Humans .. . . .. ...... ........ . . .. 6S Phoelarchs ... . .... ... . .... ..... 65 Primordials . .... . .. . .. . .. ... . ... 65

3: ELEMENTAL LOCALES .. .. ... 66 The Brazen Bazaar . . ...... . ..... .. 68 Canaughlin Bog ....... . . .. .. ... . . 70 The Choking Palace ............ . .. 72 Gloamnull, City of Rain . ....... .... 74 Irdoc Morda .. .. . . . .. . ... .. . ..... . 76 The Moteswarm .... . ... . . ...... . . 78 Pandemonium Stone . . .. ....... ... 80 Pillars of Creation.. . .... ... . .. ... . 82 The Riverweb .. . ... . .. .. . . . . . .. . . 84 Sanzerathad . . _....... .......... .. 86 Mind over Matte r . . ...... . . . . ... 86 The Glittering Mine . . .. . . ... .. ... . 88 Encounter: Over the Edge . ...... . 90 Encounter: In the Pits .. . .. .. .. .. . 92 The Body Luminous . . . ........ .. .. 94 Encounter: Upper Vestibule . . . ... 96 Encounter: Inner Lock ........ .. . 98 The Mountain Builder's Barrow . .. 100 Encounter: The Slopes . .. ... . . . . 1 02 Encounter: The Barrow . . . . ..... 104

4: 1NTO THE ABYSS ... . . . . ... .. 106 The Deepest Depths ..... . ..... . . 108 Infinite Layers . . ... . . . .. ...... . . 108 Traveling the Abyss ........... .. 109 Abyssal Campaign Arcs .. ... ...... 110 Paragon Tier: The Best-Laid Plans ... .. . ... .. 110

Epic Tier: The Conquering Demon .... . . 111 Abyssal Adventures . . . .... .. . . ... 11 2 ClOSing the Portal .. ... . ........ 112 Streets of Demons (Paragon or Epic Tier) . .. .. .. .. 112 Demons Galore ..... . . .. . . . . . .. 11 2 The Last Witness ..... . . ........ 113 To Trick the Prince of Beasts . . . . 113 Skill Challenges in the Abyss . . .. . . 114 Abyssal Madness ... . ... ..... . .. 114 Destroying a Demongate ....... 115 Escaping a Demon Horde .. . .... 116 Navigating the Demonweb . . . . . . 116 Abyssal Locations ..... .. .. ... . ... 118 Mal Arundak, the Bastion of Confusion ..... . 118

Molor, the Stinking Realm ....... 120 Juiblex, the Faceless Lord ...... 120

The Plains of Rust ....... . .. .. .. 122

The Spires of Rajzak ... ... .... . . 124

5: CREATURES OF CHAOS.....126

Abomination .. .. ... ... . . . .. ... . . 128

Primeval Ooze . . . .... . ... .. .. . . 128

Unique Abominations .... ... . .. 128

Storm That Walks ....... ....... 129

Archon . ...... . . . . . . ..... .. . .... 130

Iron Archon . . ... . . . ... .. ....... 130

Mud Archon ... ..... .. .. . ...... 130

De mon, Blight-Born . . .... . .. . .. .. 132

Dust Demon. .... . .... . . . ... . . . 1 32

Ash-Wrought Soulburner ... ... . 133

Consumptive Swarm ....... .... 133

Sibling Rivalry . . ....... ...... . 134

Writh ing Crag . . ... . ...... . .. .. 134

EiskJaat ........ . . . . . . . ......... 136

EiskJaat Warrior .. . . . .. .. .. .... 136

EiskJaat Rimebolter . ... .. ... . .. 136

EiskJaat Mauler . ....... .. . . . .. . 136

Eisk Jaat Mystic ......... . ..... . 136

Elemental. . ... . .. . .......... .... 138

Scorchwind Phantom..... . . .. .. 138

Ashfrost Assassin .. .. .. .. ... .... 138

Sunsearer ...... .... . . .. . . .. . .. 138

Diamondstorm Reape r . ... .. . .. 139

Caustic Slayer. .. . ........ . .. ... 139

Primordial Blot . ....... . . . ... .. 140

The Mythic Blot . ....... ...... 140

Life, but Not as We Know h . ... 141

Slaad .. .. . ....... .. . . ..... . ..... 142

Chaos Phage Swarm ..... . .. .... 142

Green Slaad Madjack .. . ...... .. 142

Blue Slaad Digeste r . . ..... . . . . . 142

Gray Slaad Havoc ......... .. .. .143

Red Slaad Juggernaut. ..... ..... 143

White Slaad (Chronos Slaad) . .. . 143

Black Slaad Entropic. . . . . . .. ... . 144

MASTERS OF

THE ELEMENTS .. . .. .. .. .. ... . .146

Ehkahk . . ... .. .. ...... . . ... . .... 146

Smoke Hound . . ............. . . 147

Liricosa . .. ... . . . . . . . . . ...... . . . . 148

Liricosa's Disciples . . . . . . . . ... . . 149

Sirrajadt, the Vengeful Storm ..... 1 SO

Djinn Cloudstalker . ... .. .. . ... . 151

Solkara, the Crushing Wave .. .. .. . 152

Xixecal, the Living Glacier ... .. . . 153

Mirmakur, the Raving Priest . .... 154

Crushing Wave Cultists ........ . 1 S4

Ygorl, Lord of Entropy .. . . ... . ... . 1 S6

Shkiv............. .. .. ....... . . 156

Skirnex, Voice of Ygorl. ...... . .. 1 57

Acolyte of Entropy ............. 158

New Monsters . . ... . . .......... .. 159

About the Designers .. . ........ . . 159

CHAPTER 1

A

RIOTOUS realm, the Elemental Chaos is incomprehensible to those who have not experienced it firsthand . Here, flame speaks and lightning dreams. iron hates and seas hunger. Islands ofearth, ash, mud, salt, or semisolid smoke and fl ame, some as vast as continents, float amid an endless sky. Rivers of water, lava, or liquid air flow from oceans bounded by nothing solid, cross landscapes of broken crystal, and spillover clifffaces made of tangible lightning. Winds of heavy vapor are gUided by currents of chaos, whipping into enormous storms of burning hail and sharp-edged thunder. As disconcerting as the substance of the Elemental Chaos is, worse still awaits visitors. Direction has no meaning. Locations shift constantly. Even gravity is capricious, exerting its pull differently on living things than on objects. This chapter helps you to comprehend this tumultuous place. Using this material, you can better convey the wonders, terrors, and peculiarities of the realm to your players. It offers tools to let you work the Plane Below into your adventures and campaigns, ensuring that your players experience it as someplace truly alien. It covers the following topics.

+

The Basic Elements: An overview including game mechanics for travel, direction, and gravity.

+ Features of the Plane: Descriptions and rules for some of the peculiar environments, terrains, and hazards of the Elemental Chaos.

+ Skill Challenges: Situations that might arise as adventurers explore the plane.

+ Campaign Arcs: Illustrative campaign arcs- one for each of the four varieties of planar campaigns discussed in the Manual ofthe Planes supplement.

+

Adventures: A selection of adventure ideas, including sample hooks.

+

Patrons: A review of elemental patrons for your adventuring party.

+

Orders out of Chaos: Organizations that might serve as friend , foe, or both.

+

Artifacts: Powerful magic items that have ties to the Elemental Chaos or its denizens.

C HAPTER

1

I

Chaos Incarnate

ELEMENTAL BUOYANCY ELEMENTAL CHAOS TRAITS

As first presented in Manual of the Planes, the Ele ­ mental Chaos has the following traits. These qualities are expanded on in the sections that follow. Type: Fu ndamental plane. Size and Shape: Infinite in extent. Gravity: Elemental buoyancy. Mutability: Unstable.

NATURE AND S IZE The Elemental Chaos is the source of the material and energy that make up every other realm in the multiverse. Stone and smoke, fire and metal, water and light, ice and lightning, wind and raw magic- all combinations are the substance of the Plane Below. Thus the Elemental Chaos is considered one of the two fundamental planes, along with the Astral Sea. These two realms anchor the entire cosmos; without them the world, and most other planes, could not exist. The Elemental Chaos is infinite in size and shape, but each of its known regions and locations is con­ tained within a finite, if enormous, space. Those who travel beyond the known reaches ofthe Elemental Chaos might make astounding discoveries that out­ shine the City of Brass or the Pillars of Creation, but more likely they'll become utterly lost amid the most alien and hostile environments conceivable.

ELEMENTAL REALMS The Elemental Chaos as a whole might be limitless, but the same is not true of the various elemental realms. Ranging from a few yards in diameter to a volume large enough to swallow worlds, these areas are carved from the Elemental Chaos by powerful magic or individuals of inconceivably strong will. In these regions, the envi­ ronment is relatively stable. Some areas have normal gravity. Others feature elemental buoyancy, similar to that of the Elemental Chaos beyond, but perhaps with a different orientation of up and down. Still other realms have subjective gravity, where each creature decides for itself which is up and down. Most regions lack the unstable mutability of the Elemental Chaos-their sub­ stance is locked in place by the power or the mind that created them. Uncountable numbers of elemental realms populate the Plane Below. Among the best known are the City of Brass, various githzerai monasteries, and the dreadful Abyss, which qualifies as both an elemental realm and a plane apart from the Elemental Chaos.

CHAPTER 1

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Chaos Incarnate

The Elemental Chaos has no north or south, no sunrise or sunset. Gravity does pull in a consistent direction to give the otherwise unpredictable plane a definite up and down. Even so, gravity isn't always reliable. Inanimate objects and materials native to the Elemental Chaos are not subject to gravity. Islands of earth or ice (also called earthmotes), rivers flowing without beds, and broad oceans unbounded by shores remain suspended in the skies of the Elemental Chaos. Pitch a rock off the edge of a clifT, and it comes to rest where its forward momentum stops. Lift water in your cupped palms, and it hovers when you drop your hands away. Nonnative objects, however, and living crea­ tures (regardless of origin) do not benefit from this buoyancy. For them, gravity functions as it docs in the natural realm. Drop your sword, and it hits the ground at your feet. Step off the edge of an earthmote, and you could have a long drop during which to con­ template that error in judgment. 'Vhether native to the realm or not, though, any object does not remain in one place for long-all are propelled by the plane's ceaseless currents of chaos.

CURRENTS OF CHAOS Currents of chaos shape the Plane Below, but no one agrees on what exactly they are. Chaos currents provide an easy explanation for the randomness inherent in the Elemental Chaos. Masses ofland and other elements move constantly, making locations impermanent and often meaning­ less. An island here yesterday is somewhere else tonlorrow. A route that was once straight now twists back upon itsel( Winds blow unpredictably, storms move in opposition to those airstreams, mountains rise and fall-all in no apparent pattern. Observers \-vrite off such changes as a metaphor for the reality of living in the Elemental Chaos. Nevertheless, chaos is a real force on this plane, no less so than fire or lightning, and it has its own ebb and flow. Elemental vessels such as chaos 8liders latch on to something, and the same energy gUides slaads and other entropic beings on their mysterious paths. Whether the currents of chaos are responsible for the fluctuations attributed to them is unclear, but no better explanation has been devised.

UNSTABLE MUTABILITY Islands drift, winds shift, water becomes fire, rivers change their course, and lightning carves tunnels through the lands. Travelers can't count on a specific destination being in the same place from one day to the next, or even on its having the same shape or being made of the same substance. Some regions

Move Object: Standard action. .. DC: The DC is based on the object's size-Tiny or smaller, DC 5; Small or Medium, DC 10; Large, DC 15; Huge, DC 20; Gargantuan, DC 25 . .. Success: You move an unattended object. You move the object 1 square, +1 square for every 5 points by which you beat the DC. .. Failure: You can't try to move the same object until after a short rest. Alter Object: Standard action. .. DC: The DC is based on the object's si ze-Tiny or smaller, DC 20; Small or Medium, DC 25; Large, DC 30; Huge, DC 35; Gargantuan , DC 40. .. Success: You change an unattended natural object into a different element or type of energy of the same size. For example, a boulder can be changed into a ball of fire. .. Failure: You can't try to alter the same object until after a short rest. Stabilize Area: 1 minute. .. DC: The DC is 5 + 1 per square affected. .. Success: You lock an area into its current form for 24 hours. Double the area or the duration for every 5 points by which you beat the DC. .. Failure: You can't try to stabi'lize the same area until after an extended rest.

Alter Area: 1 minute.

.. DC: The DC is 20 + 1 per square affected. Add

10 to the DC if the area has been stabilized (see above). Double the area or the duration for every 5 points by which you beat the DC. .. Success: You change the terrain of an area for 24 hours. For example, a bare rocky plain can be changed into a forest. .. Failure: You can't try to alter the same area until after an extended rest. change constantly, hour by hour or minute by minute. Other places remain steady for hundreds or thou­ sands ofyears, only to be suddenly reshaped in an instant by violent convulsions. Most of the changes in the Elemental Chaos are random, but some transformations are driven by the will of living beings. So subject to change is the Plane Below that any powerful mind can shape its surroundings without magic, although certain rituals make the task easier. With concentration, a creature can cause an object to move or even change shape and substance: for example, a burning fire might be turned into a sculpture ofice, or a large uncut crystal into sandstone. An especially powerful being can even temporarily alter the nature of an entire area.

INFLUENCING THE CHAOS Creatures in the Elemental Chaos can alter their sur­ roundings by spending a certain amount of time in

concentration and making a successful Intelligence check (see left). Only unattended objects can be moved or altered. You can use this planar instability to create interest­ ing encounters-terrain that rises and falls, footing that shifts from solid to liquid, pools of water that become naming hazards.

MUTABILITY IN COMBAT Creatures strong in mind can attack enemies by manipulating the Elemental Chaos. This is an at-will basic attack, as described below. This system requires some adjudication by the Dungeon Master as to its effects in combat. For a sim­ pler combat option, see the irif1uence instability power described below.

Influence Instability

Basic Attack You bend the plane to your will, smashin8 a nearby objecr into your foe or creatin8 ener8Y that does it harm. At-Will" see text Standard Action Ranged 15/30 Target: One creature Attack: Intelligence vs. Reflex Special: If you are trained in Arcana, you can add your implement's enhancement bonus to your attack roll. This power does not become an implement attack. Hit: 2d10 + Intelligence modifier damage. This damage can be acid, cold, fire, lightning, pOison, radiant, thunder, or untyped. level 21: 4d11Q+ Intelligence modifier damage. You can adjust the efficacy of this attack according to the locale, imposing a penalty to attack rolls in more stable realms or a bonus in easily altered areas.

OPT10NAL RUL E:

VER Y LONG RANGE

Weapons that hurl projectiles are usually constructed in the world. so the elemental buoya ncy of the Elemental Chaos has no effect on their ammunition. But what hap­ pens if a character uses a projectile weapon that was constructed in the Elemental Chaos. or just decides to pick up and hurl a rock? Although such objects are not subject to gravity, they are nonetheless pulled off course by the currents of chaos that invisibly shape the Elemen­ tal Chaos, much as gravity acts on a missile in the world. Where the churning chaos of the plane is somewhat quiescent, you might allow a projectile of elemental origin to gain an additional range category. Very long range extends from the limit of long range to twice that limit. Attacks made at very long range take a -5 penalty to attack rolls. Beyond that distance, even if the projectile encounters no other obstacles, hitting a target is impossi­ ble barring extraordinary circumstances and godlike aim.

CHAPTER 1 I Chaos Incarnate

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TRAVELING THE ELEMENTAL CHAOS Navigating the Elemental Chaos is difficult. In the world, travelers can rely on landmarks, the sun, the stars, and a compass. Also, much of that realm can be reached by foot or boat. In contrast, the Plane Below features few dependable landmarks, and pre­ dictable foot travel is possible only in limited stable regions, such as the City of Brass, Zerthadlun, or the Canaughlin Hog (page 70). Nevertheless, the Elemental Chaos does contain some stretches of solid surfaces. Some are composed of dangerous substances, but many are not inherently harder to traverse than regions of the world, except where they are broken by great chasms, impossibly tall peaks, walls oflightning, or rivers of acid. Some of these areas even contain reasonably permanent land­ marks. Getting to such a surface, though , might be a greater challenge than traveling across it.

RIDING THE CHAOS Visitors to the plane who have no other options can try to "piggyback " on the drifting masses, though only the most desperate or most adventurous travelers practice such travel. A piggyback journey (sometimes called "riding the chaos") requires hopping from one swift-moving body to another, making zigzag progress toward a final destination. Given the constant motion of the Elemental Chaos, it is only a matter of time before a stable mass drifts by in the right direction. In some regions, suitable motes pass through regu­ larly. In others, the masses are visible in the sky but difficult to reach. To make the jump between motes might require chartering a short flight on an airship, performing a teleportation ritual, or raising a floating stairway through sheer willpower. In the last resort, it might be possible for travelers to bribe a titan into hurling them across the gap. Aside from the problem ofreaching the mass , a traveler must determine which passing object is the best conveyance. Without some method of prediction,

ELEMENTAL COLL1Sl0N When large masses of elements collide. cataclysm results. One body might shatter the other, creating new, smaller masses in an instant of extreme violence. Sometimes one entity absorbs or encompasses the other, such as when an earth mote plunges into a vast ocean and becomes a sunken continent. The two objects might even transform each other: An earth mote and an enormous ball of fire might create a continent of lava. or a windstorm and an ocean of magma could give rise to a rain of fire. By creating an impending elemental collision, you can set a time limit for characters' heroics or provide an impetus for a dramatic escape. CHAPTER 1

I

Chaos Incarnate

riding the chaos is a matter of picking a habitable mass moving in the right direction and hoping it con­ tinues on that way. A common method of choosing a suitable drifting "vessel" was devised by the efreets, through a divining practice called al-buraj. Secur­ ing such assistance, however, always comes at a high price-and dealing with efreets is a perilous proposi­ tion. Other creatures might have a more instinctive understanding of the currents of chaos, but their guidance cannot be easily secured regardless of price.

FLIGHT Flight is available through spells or magiC items, but most of those methods grant the ability for too short a time to be of much use in exploration. A character might be able to hop from one mote or vehicle to another, but that's about it. Other sources of flight, such asJlyin8 carpets and mounts created by the Phantom Steed ritual, are limited by altitude restric­ tions and thus are incapable of flying between widely separated masses. Some rituals and items grant long-distance flight, but even they are not without danger. In the world, when a flight effect wears off, a solid landing surface is often nearby. In the Elemental Chaos, no such guarantee exists. Additionally, some magical flight ends if the affected character takes any action other than flying. Getting into a fight while far away from a solid surface could be deadly. Only a few powers, such as the cleric's cloud chariot, are truly effective means oflong-range flight.

TELEPORTATION Because travel throughout the plane is so difficult, many settlements of the Elemental Chaos make use of teleportation circles. Such transport is common in the City of Brass and can be found in other efreet outposts, genasi and giant communities, githzerai monasteries, and Elemental Chaos-based headquarters of worldly factions and cults. The infamous Choking Palace (page 72) is said to have teleport at ion circles of solid smoke that slowly shift through a predetermined pattern, making them useful only at certain times. Travelers can find teleportation circles at seemingly random points across the various drifting masses of the Elemental Chaos. Some are engraved bands that have known origins, marking the sites of old commu­ nities or strongholds. Others were created by secretive factions to facilitate unseen assemblies for purposes still concealed. Strangest of all , a few circles seem to have been created by nobody but appear fully formed from random fluctuations of chaos and magic. One infamous transport point, made of everburning flame, floats in empty space with no solid footing beneath. Of course, teleportation circles are useful only to those familiar with their patterns. Some portal signatures (such as the public circles in the City of

Brass) can be learned through research, but many runic combinations require firsthand observation. As a result, teleportation is better as a way to return to a known location than as a tool for exploration.

VEHICLES AND MOUNTS Mounts and vehicles, including magic vessels, are common means of traversing the Elemental Chaos. Some adventuring parties purchase and crew their own, but most hire such conveyances. Vehicles traveling to major trade centers and com­ munities, such as the City of Brass and Gloamnull (page 74), are relatively easy to find. The farther one travels from the centers of the plane's civil izations, though, the scarcer such vessels become. The Brazen Bazaar (page 68) is a caravan of wagons that travels the Elemental Chaos, sometimes stopping in the world or on other planes. Travel­ ers are allowed to accompany it if they can afford a modest fee and shoulder their own load. Voyagers who shirk their duties, do not pay enough, or anger the caravan attendant risk becoming just another commodity sold to or by the efreets. ELEMENTAL CHAOS VEHICLES AND MOUNTS Mount or Vehicle

Overland Miles Miles Speed per Day per Hour

fly 15 180' 6, swim 6 15,15

7'12 3,3

Many travelers prefer to ride beasts native to the Elemental Chaos, such as rime fire griffons, because such mounts can easily find their way in the wild plane. Natural creatures such as hippogriffs are also common, but more suitable for short-distance trans­ port. In general, mounts are riskier than inanimate u vessels-a safe place to set down might not be avail­ Vl able when the beast tires. txtrY11~~

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CHAPTER 2 I Races of Chaos

OUTLOOK AND INTERACTION The City of Brass is a relatively welcoming destination within the inhospitable Elemental Chaos, offering safe harbor from the dangers of the plane. Since it is one of the few pOints there that stays in place, the city has become the center of trade in the Plane Below and the cosmos beyond. The efreets, for all their arro· gance, are not so foolish as to turn away visitors-and the profit they represent. Although outsiders are tolerated in the city, they must abide by restrictive policies. Security is high, especially around the harbor and the Charcoal Palace (the lord's Citadel), and transgressions of the law are punished with varying periods of servitude. Those who don't cause trouble, though, are usually left alone. Slave labor forms a large part of efreet society, and the concept of servitude is complex and longstanding. It is central to the efreets' worldview, perhaps even to their nature: Bondage to another efreet is the harsh· est punishment possible in the race's culture. Some

'MAPP1NG CHAOS eing stationary relative to the rest of the Elementa! Chaos, the City of Brass has obvious advantages. As well as offering safety from chaos storms (Manual ofthe Planes I page 67) and other planar perils, this static vantage point allows inhabitants to study the tempest in detail. Efreets conduct this eternal investigation with a ritual form of "astronomy" called al-buraj. The djinns originally created the art, but since their diminishment at the end of the Dawn War, they have contributed little to its prog­ ress. The efreets chart patterns in the fluctuations of the Elemental Chaos, which they believe not only reveal what has occurred but also presage events to come. The practice of al-buraj combines seemingly incompat­ ible outlooks: rigorous natural philosophy and intensely devotional ritual. An observer records precise measure­ ments of elemental bodies' composition and movement through the plane relative to his or her location; the stable City of Brass provides a known reference point. This mathematical precision is combined with deep meditation to reveal metaphoric truths, often in a trance induced by powerful elixirs. The art's ritual practitioners, called sahaars, are impor­ tant and respected members of efreet society. Oracle, climatologist, and security advisor, a sahaar predicts impending storms and tracks the movements of earth­ motes and other elemental bodies that might threaten travel. Temple observatories grant all sahaars the ability to gaze into any area of the Elemental Chaos. The efreets claim that other beings are phYSically and mentally incapable of practicing al-buraj, or even of grasp­ ing its deeper cosmological underpinnings. Such a claim might be based on the efreets' secrecy and arrogance rather than on any real information.

scholars claim that the efreets were once enslaved by the first primordial off1ame.

MAJOR SITES The efreets oversee a classic empire that holds sway

over people, places, and resources far beyond their

home region . They maintain their dominance by

means of an army of archon slaves and maintain

holdings throughout the Plane Below.

THE CITY OF BRASS

The most famous location in the Elemental Chaos,

the ancestral home of the efreets is described

in detail in the Manual ofthe Planes supplement

(pages 73-76).

DAR E:L- HARIa

The enlightened few who are familiar with the

sahaars (see the "Mapping Chaos" sidebar), and their

service to the efreets over the centuries, know that

their temples are not limited to the City of Brass. The

practice of al-buraj involves using multiple observa­

tories, each of which can be located by any other, as

markers in the ever-changing tempest. In this way

the sahaars perform the arcane triangulation that is

the basis of the ritual art.

Over millennia, as the efreets spread through the Elemental Chaos, they established many satellite observatories, to better serve the sahaars of the City of Brass and the greater glory of their race. Dar el -Hariq was one such site, part of a former outpost on a mas­ sive block of elemental earth tumbling through the plane. The outpost was lost to attackers that emerged from a nearby chaos storm, but the temple observa­ tory remained. Today, a group of rebellious efreets reside there, performing their own al-buraj rituals and biding their time until they sense the perfect moment to act.

THE: SMOLDE:RING GATE:

The name of this massive fortress in the Elemental

Chaos is misleading. Although it does have gates,

the Smoldering Gate is named not for those but for

its purpose.

Millennia ago, the Lord of the Efreets sent an army of efreets, accompanied by a cadre of the most powerful constructs that their magic could sustain, on a one-way mission into the Elemental Chaos. The legion'S objective was to find the major portal to the Abyss nearest to the City of Brass and build a watch­ tower on the most defensible position overlooking it. The result was a nearly impregnable fortress, populated by efreets and their unliving servitors. It has remained in roughly the same place ever since, at the very threshold of the Abyss. In all those long years, the soldiers of the Smoldering Gate have never

eventually found her, though, and managed to slay Vl the efreet mage. The creatures that Djamela had conjured were left to run free, preventing others from ~ continuing her research. L.L. Without its creator to maintain the strengthening LI.J rituals, the dike began to decay, and the island was nearly consumed by the Sea of Fire. A shadar-kai mercenary named Sarshan moved into the tower at some point and now apparently controls it. The shadar-kai has also established control over the mage's traps.

tu

CHANGE lN THE

C1TY OF BRASS

The Sultan of Brass

willingly entered the portal or even revealed the exis­ tence of their stronghold to outsiders. The guardians' movements are strictly regulated, and they remain ever vigilant despite the monotony. Always they watch , against the day when the mouth of the Abyss yawns wide to spill forth its horrors.

THE TOWER OF DJAMELA Djamela's Tower is built on a steep-sided, floating island that juts up in the midst of the Sea of Fire. On the horizon , the distant spires of the City of Brass shimmer above the haze of the lava sea. An ancient stone dike surrounds the island, bolstered by arcane rituals that help keep the lava at bay. The tower itself is a sheer obsidian monolith that dominates the island . Years ago, this island was home to Djamela, an eccentric efreet mage whose passion was the study of raw chaos. The mage was particularly interested in the mutability of the Elemental Chaos, which she sought to harness and control. Her research was so dangerous that she was driven from the City of Brass, so she relocated to this remote location to continue her work. Djamela raised a monolithic tower filled with traps, and she conjured golems and spec tral defend­ ers to defend against intrusion. Her enemies

The Scales of War adventure path in Dun8eon magazine chronicles events that can affect the City of Brass, sum­ marized here. If you are setting your own stories in the City of Brass, you could integrate some of the following material into your campaigns. Bashamgurda, lord of the Efreets for nearly four cen­ turies, insulted and enraged the noble houses by allowing an outside force to use the City of Brass as a staging ground for an army, and the houses hold him responsible for the carnage that followed. Acting with the support of every key noble house other than Bashamgurda's own, a seasoned general named Estumishu stepped up to take the Brass Throne. The coup itself was nearly bloodless, costing the life of only Bashamgurda himself. The fallout was less pleasant. Enraged, Bashamgurda's house declared war on Estumishu's family and was destroyed for its blatant vio­ lation of efreet law. Estumishu's palace guard, the Ring of Fire, massacred the males of the house and enslaved their wives and children to the new lord. Only a few escaped to a distant outpost, Dar el-Hariq. Not every house agreed with this draconian response, but all saw little choice but to fall in line. This upheaval at the highest levels of efreet society has changed the sense of welcoming cultural openness once prevalent in the City of Brass. Today, anxiety oozes from the highest halls of power and permeates the city's mood. Ufe under Bashamgurda had been stable if unsatisfying for some among the nobility. But many who thought they knew who Estumishu was, and what he would represent once in power, are now doubting themselves. Recently Estumishu acqUired the nickname "the Smiling King," allegedly for the way his oversized teeth protrude even when he is silent. No one else seems to be laughing, though. As word of Estumishu's coup spreads throughout the Elemental Chaos, many of the other communities are holding their breath. The efreets are the largest and most organized power in the plane, and no one knows whether the Smiling King intends to maintain the status quo or steer efreet society to a new and unexpected course.

_ .- - - . - . - . - .- . - .-

.- .- . _ . - .--.- .---

GENASl Although most genasi dwell in the world, substantial numbers yet inhabit the Plane Below. Genasi are strongly attracted to places ofstrong elemental power, and the Elemental Chaos calls to them despite its dangers. They are drawn to areas that share their manifested element; watersoul genasi, for example, feel safer in environments dominated by water.

THE OR1G1N OF THE GENASl The story of the race's beginning is lost to history. but genasi have an astounding number of contradictory creation myths. Ma ny legends claim that the genasi were once humans who became infused with elemen­ tal power. The most popular and Widely accepted story states that a group of human wizards called sha'irs worked closely with powerful elemental beings and evenl tually became so steeped in elemental power that their children were infused with it-becoming the first genasi. Other stories abound. Perhaps the genasi developed from human agents of the primordials who were twisted by dark elemental energy, or they were brave champions who stole power from the primordials. Perhaps they were simply trapped in the Elemental Chaos and absorbed its ambient power. A number of genasi resent the implication that they must have grown from human stock. They seek to dis­ tance themselves from humans and establish themselves as a unique race. A popular tale claims that the genasi were the first humanoids created. The primordials made the cosmos long before the gods arrived, and as they spun the raw stuff of existence from the void, their great gen­ erative power gave life to some of it. Thus were the first elementals born. The primordials soon became aware of these bits of elemental conglomerate that did not act randomly or naturally. They were pleased with the results and experimented with creating additional forms of life. Many of these did not survive, but djinns, efreets, giants, and genasi are all results of the primordials' efforts. The merciless environment and fierce competition with the other children of the primordials weeded out the weakest ofthe genasi stock, so that only the cleverest remained. Even though the survivors were able to hold their own, their numbers were few, and as a group they were still no match for the other new races. Teetering on the brink of extinction, the genasi gath­ ered together for one last desperate try at protecting their race: They struck at the primordials. Most died in this heroic attempt, but a few survived, clutching small frag­ ments of their creators' power. Employing arcane means to harness this essence, they created the first archon forges. Then, with armies of elemental soldiers at their disposal, the genasi carved out domains for themselves and multiplied, until other servants of the primordia Is stole the forges, claiming them as their own creations. CHAPTER 2

I

Races of Chaos

Genasi are as scattered in the Elemental Chaos as they are in the world, and few strong communities exist in either realm. Ironically, genasi cannot tolerate the extreme environments ofthejr ancestral home, so they must compete with other creatures such as githzerai, djinns, and giants for the limited habitable areas. Genasi rarely win such conflicts and so end up forming enclaves in other races' settlements. The elemental currents in the Plane Below strongly influence genasi who are native to the plane, making their elemental manifestations more extreme than those of genasi who were born in the world. For example, firesoul genasi are wilder and more destructive, while carthsoul genasi are more delib ­ erate and implacable. Those native to the plane do not consider their extreme nature to be unusual and even exploit their elemental attunement by switching manifestations as needed. Thus, a stormsoul genasi might switch to earthsoul when patience is necessary.

LIFE AND CULTURE The phYSical weakness ofgenasi limits their choices in the plane's hostile environment. Many are slaves in the City of Brass or in settlements of other power­ ful beings; those who are not can barely scratch out a modest liVing. Others live among the githzerai, contributing to their communities and learning their ways. The few genasi settlements that do exist in the Plane Below are well-fortified areas with dedicated defenders, much like githzerai communities. Unlike the githzerai, who overcome the dangers of the plane through tight social bonds and intense martial training, genasi have a loose system of government. A council of experienced elders rules on important matters, but citizens work together for the sake of shared survival. Genasi crafters, farmers, and traders work with vastly different materials from those in the natural world. Their manufactured goods incorporate pulSing crystal, semisolid fire , or stranger substances; farmers grow mineral-rich crops in sludge-filled swamps or herd elemental beasts across lightning-flecked fields of ice.

GENASI SOCIETY LOR E Arcana DC 20: Although genasi are elemental beings, they are not native to the Elemental Chaos and struggle to survive there. Conflicting legends claim they arose from humanoids imbued with ele ­ mental essence or were creations of the primordials predating other forms oflife. Arcana DC 25: Genasi who are native to the Plane Below manifest elements more intensely than genasi do elsewhere, and they are able to alternate between different manifestations.

Arcana DC 30: Genasi legend holds that the race was instrumental in saving the world from the after­ math of the Dawn War, and the genasi still revere the hero Twenisto, called the Water Thief. Arcana DC 35: Some genasi of the Elemental Chaos form hunting bands called zar-son, which roam the Plane Below in pursuit of dangerous elemental monsters.

OUTLOOK AND INTERACTION Despite all their hardships, genasi as a whole have no quarrel with the other elemental races. They feel a kinship to all children of the elements, even ifindi­ viduals mistreat them. Some genasi grow bitter about their race's lowly status and depart through portals to the natural world, but many are loath to leave their home plane, harsh as it is. A few such genasi form bands they caB zar-son, which loosely translates as "great hunters." A zar-son band consists offour to twelve genasi, usually exhibiting various manifestations, who adventure across the Elemental Chaos and fight powerful elemental creatures. Some bands exist only to gain experience and strength from these hunts, while others search for a hospitable place to call home.

MAJOR SITES Genasi tend to congregate in small populations within the cities of other races but occasionally form communities of their own.

GLOAMNULL This genasi trade city, struggling to survive in the Elemental Chaos, is detailed in chapter 3 (page 74). HATSNARL This genasi town (population roughly 4,000) is built on a cluster ofsmall earth motes-the largest is a mere mile across. Rope bridges link every floating rock with at least one or two others, though the windsoul genasi who make up most of the population often just fly between them . The town is ruled by an enigmatic storm giant of unusual shrewdness named Aphyr. Through Aphyr's masterful diplomacy, the town has formed alliances with elementals and other storm giants, and an elite cadre of air archons defends it. The genasi of the city are particularly disciplined, and many study ritual magic at its extensive library. Other forces in the area are beginning to look toward Hatsnarl with some concern about Aphyr's goals. THRESHOLD The largest genasi city in the Elemental Chaos is also the most likely to attract visitors from the natural world. With a population of almost 10,000 genasi,

Threshold is a bustling settlement built around an enormous portal that opens once each month for 72 hours. Each time, the portal connects to a seemingly random location in the world or, rarely, some other plane. The genasi use this short window of oppor­ tunity to trade their wares, secure new materials, or contact long-lost kin.

THE WILD QUARTER This area of the Iskalat district in the City of Brass (Manual ofthe Planes, paBes 73 -76) is home to most of the city's genasi. Many are freed slaves who work to earn freedom for their kin. The genasi's elemental nature works against them, though; with so many firesouls living so close together, mad celebrations and rages continually break out, giving the quarter its name. The efreets, having little tolerance for chaos, must patrol constantly to break up the disturbances. Despite the genasi's noble aims, they have become a citywide joke.

THE WAT ER TH1EF Genasi consider themselves to be resourceful and lever and nothing exemplifies this attitude better than the story of the Water Thief. During the long years of the Dawn War, life in the world was a struggle. The blasted landscape was unsuit­ able for growing crops or even rebuilding. Ash, salt, and scoria fouled streams and lakes. The creatures of the world had no choice but to drink the tainted water, short­ ening their lives and exposing them to horrible disease. A group of genasi scholars, who had long ago fled their primordial masters and taken up residence in the world, decided to solve this problem. They knew that the Elemental Chaos contained vast resources of pure water. Being elemental in nature, the genasi were best suited to secure a supply, but the scholars could find none willing to travel to the Plane Below. Fear of the war and of the primordials overwhelmed them. Finally, a watersoul genasi called Twenisto appeared at the scholars' doorstep. He didn't volunteer to travel to the Elemental Chaos to secure fresh water but simply grinned, claiming to have already done so. The scholars drew water from their well and were astonished to find it pure and sweet-as it was throughout the world. The genasi hailed Twenisto as a hero, calling him the Water Thief, and their mythic traditions credit the race with the survival of all natural peoples. The other races remained ignorant of his accomplishment. though some genasi note that stories exist in other cultures that echo Twenisto's tale. The hero did not linger in the world to enjoy the acclaim. He returned to the Elemental Chaos, his heart stolen by a beautiful lightning elemental. A prominent genasi family with the surname Waterthief claims Twenisto's lineage to this day. CHAPTER 2

I

Races of Chaos

1/1 ~

Z UJ

IJ

- . - . - . - . - - . - . - . - - - .- .- . - . - - . - . - . ­

G1ANTS AND T1TANS In the beginning, giants of every kind labored long for their elemental overseers to construct a beautiful place of ever-shifting primordial wonder, in the per­ fect image of the Elemental Chaos that had birthed it. Then the gods interfered and changed everything. They made the world stable, predictable-mundane. New races spread swiftly through the hospitable new realm. Villages rose and became towns, towns became cities, and cities became nations. Dwarves disemboweled the earth, elves drowned dry places, and humans overran the whole. This ordered realm, ruled by gods-favored creatures, was an abomina­ tion to the primordials. They tried to restore it to its former perfection, but they were overthrown by the upstart gods. Giants and titans have served their own aims since the end of the Dawn War, but some remain loyal to the trapped primordials and see it as their duty to destroy what the gods created. They tear down build­ ings, burn crops, and soak the ground with the blood of the world's creatures, hoping to overturn the tri­ umph of the gods and free the primordials to recreate the world they intended.

THE BATTLE

OF THE TORN PLA1N

When the gods and the primordials waged their ancient! war. a great battle took place on a wide plain in the natu­ ral world. On one side were angels and other servants of the gods. led by the archangel Odamiel. On the other were elementals and archons commanded by the mighty earth archon Phaeron. The forces clashed repeatedly. tearing the ground and burning the sky, but the armies were too evenly matched; the battles always ended in stalemate. No giants were involved at the start of this battle, for they were fighting elsewhere. They soon prevailed in their other endeavors, however, and force-marched to reinforce their allies on the plain. The giants and the titans threw themselves into the fray, even though they were exhausted from their earlier battles and their march. In the midst of the desperate fight. the great storm titan lord Thoran paused. having slaughtered all before him. At that moment, Odamiel dispatched the elemental creatures facing her. The two mighty beings' eyes met across the ravaged land. Odamiel charged. Thoran turned his gaze to the heav­ ens, and storm clouds bl'o tted out the sun. With a crash of thunder that split the earth, an enormous stroke of lightning flashed down and blasted the archangel to ash. Thus did Thoran win the Battle of the Torn Plain. The archon Phaeron knelt and paid him homage. C HAPTER 2

I

Races of Chaos

GIANT SOCIETY LORE Arcana DC 20: Since the end of the Dawn War, most giants no longer serve the primordials, but they still destroy the creations of the gods in an attempt to return the cosmos to its former primor­ dial existence. Arcana DC 25: Giants rarely organize beyond small groups led by powerful leaders. Titans, how­ ever, are powerful enough to stabilize large portions of the Elemental Chaos. They create domains reOecting their nature and command giants and other elemental creatures. Arcana DC 30: Giants' and titans' territo· ries often contain portals connecting the world to the Elemental Chaos through areas of intense elemental activity.

LIFE AND CULTURE Giants are barely civilized, forming loose bands if no leader directs them. Their motivations are simple: They like their own kind and creatures that share their base element, and they hate and destroy the rest-even other giants. When giants do form larger communities, their characteristics depend on the inhabitants' kind. Hill and earth giants group into clans under a chieftain, while stone giants live in more widely distributed tribes. Frost giants are tightly controlled by a jar!, who brooks no argument, and fire giants organize military units under one leader. Storm giants claim wide swaths ofJand as their domains, in which they establish courts of all giantkind. Titans take their elemental nature to the extreme. Rarely do they live in the natural world, which they consider beneath notice. They establish communities in the Elemental Chaos that resemble those of their kin but are more ambitious in scope. A powerful titan lord can carve out many square miles of territory in the Plane Below, and the titan's power draws followers to its banner: usually different titans and giants, as well as a few other elemental creatures. Each titan holding is a relatively stable area of the Elemental Chaos, dominated by its master's native element-fire in a fire titan's domain, water and wind in a storm titan's, and so forth. Such realms are sometimes transient because of the shifting nature of the plane. However, espeCially strong­ willed titan lords can hold their territories together long enough for them to show up on some maps of the Elemental Chaos. Giants often hoard treasure, which is reason enough for adventurers to confront them, but their territories in the Elemental Chaos also harbor portals to the world. These open into inhospitable areas, such as the heart of a volcano or the center

of a raging storm. Sometimes a single community of giants spans both planes. Perhaps giants seek out such places, or their presence somehow opens por­ tals. Regardless of their origin, these portals allow giants to wreak havoc in both planes.

OUTLOOK AND INTERACTION Giants are straightforward creatures. They like destruction and their favored element, and they gravitate toward power. Without leaders, giants are rampaging monsters. A strong leader can unite them to some degree, but generally only as a personal force of rampaging monsters. Most giants serve their own interests or those of their immediate masters. They have forgotten their ancient lords, ignore them, or pay them only lip ser­ vice. A significant minority, however, still revere the primordials. These giants are better organized and focus on the long-term goal of destroying the gods and their servants. They rein in their reckless nature, making them more cunning than others of their kind. Most creatures that encounter giants have a fight on their hands. Skilled characters can sometimes negotiate with a giant or titan leader to secure safe passage or simply avoid a fight. Giants usually demand treasure in such an exchange.

MAJOR SITES Because giants are so widespread and their commu­ nities so loose, few legitimate settlements exist. Those that do are titan realms and significant centers of power, though visitors find little but hardship.

KALTENHEIM, KINGDOM OF THE HOWLING ICE Kaltenheim is the domain of the frost titan Thrym, who rules from a citadel of deep blue ice. His territo­ ry's frigid landscape includes iced -over seas, caves of ice stalactites, and bone-snapping storms ofsnow and hail. Thrym seethes with hatred of his opposite, the fire titan Surtur, and he constantly plots to destroy his enemy and freeze Surtur's kingdom, Sakath­ Mazim. Kaltenheim is the frozen reflection of that burning realm.

THE RUNE-CARVED KEEP The eldritch titan Xantis rules this castle in a remote area of the Elemental Chaos. The keep is sparsely populated with eldritch giants, golems, and a few other creatures of an arcane bent. Githzerai explorers claim thatXantis did not build the keep but discov­ ered it. Its original constructors are a mystery, as is the meaning of the runes inscribed on its surface. Xantis intends to find the answers to both puzzles and exploit them.

SAKATH-MAZIM,

KINGDOM OF THE ASHEN STORM

The mighty fire titan Surtur rules this realm of burning ground and searing, ash-filled winds. Fire elementals of all types prowl the blistering land­ scape, slaying outsiders. In his castle of ever-flOWing lava, Surtur plots against his nemesis, the frost titan Thrym.

TORRAKOR,

KINGDOM OF THE BLACK WAVES

The storm titan queen Ysaga rules this ravaged expanse of dark waters: a sailor's nightmare of huge waves smashing against each other, driven by fero­ cious storms. Thunder rolls constantly, and the only illumination comes from the lightning that continu­ ously lances from the boiling clouds. Monstrous creatures reach up with maws or tentacles to catch any creature foolish enough to travel upon the waters. Ysaga has worked hard to ensure her solitude, even from other beings related to her favored elements. Some say she toils in search of a mystic remedy for some ancient curse or tragedy. Whatever the reason, she wants no company other than the storms, the waves, and the mindless beasts that dwell below.

CHAPTER 2

I

Races of Chaos

-~-.--

--.--- ..

-,--.-~.- . - . -.-,.-.-.-

G1THZERAl Githzerai settlements are the most habitable byvisi­ tors in the Elemental Chaos. They are more stable than genasi towns and less harsh than efreet cities. Howcver, githzerai are suspicious of strangers. Any­ thing ncw brings change, which githzerai abhor; they study chaos only to control and avoid it. Grim and unfriendly as they are, though, they rarely turn away people in need. Gith.zerai are an introspective people who see themselves as the calm within the literal storm of the Elemental Chaos. They believe that by master­ ing the chaos of the universe, they can create perfect order, which leads to enlightenment. Others describe them as philosopher-monks, and githzerai culture is decidedly monastic. This structure is not imposed by rulers; it is a natural consequence of both the githzerai's outlook and. the reality ofsurviving in the Elemental Chaos.

GITHZERAI SOCIETY LORE Arcana DC 20: Githzerai settlements are rare points of order in the Elemental Chaos. The githz erai are grim and focused on control, but they do assist travelers in need. Arcana DC 25: Perfec tion and discipline drive the githzerai, exemplified by their monastic tradi­ tions. Githzerai also value indiViduality highly and encourage all to follow their own paths. Arcana or History DC 30: After the ancient gith overthrew the empire of mind Dayers that enslaved them , a rift developed involVing their leader, Gith. Zerthimon, her most vocal critic, prevailed against her in a duel and led his followers to the Elemental Chaos. They became the githzerai. Arcana DC 35: Somewhere in the Elemental Chaos is the legendary Arsanith monastery. It is said to be a center of perfect order, cloaked from all who are not worthy. Anyone who has found enlighten­ ment is welcome there.

LIfE AND CULTURE Githzerai strive to perfect themselves and their culture, believing this practice to be the path to enlightenment. They have not forgotten the stories of their time as slaves, and thus their society is only loosely regulated . Nevertheless, a definite order and sense ofshared destiny emerges. Monastic traditions unite the githzerai in pursuit of their common goal. Their training emphaSizes the harmony of soul, mind, and body. Such intense focus unlocks impressive mental ability, honed further by the constant effort of will necessary to control the Ele­ mental Chaos. PhYSical exercises incorporate martial C HAPTER 2 I Races of Chaos

training as a means to mastering unarmed combat­ perhaps in recognition of the ancient duel between Zerthimon and Gith. Swearing never again to let tyranny quash their will, githzerai also pursue their own interests, from warfare to fine art. They aspire to perfection even in their hobbies and vocations: A githzerai works as hard to be the best crafter or farmer possible as to be the best warrior or wizard.

THE OR1G1N OF THE

G1THZERAl

Eons ago, the mind f1ayers ruled a horrible empire that span ned planes. In the empire's early days, the iIIithids conquered a gaunt, yellow-skinned race of humanoids_ As the empire expanded, the mind f1ayers took many more peoples as thralls, slaves. and food. but that ancient race of humanoids remained the most populous_ After millennia of imprisonment, a powerful leader named Gith arose among that enslaved people. She led a sweeping rebellion against the mind f1ayers that ultimately collapsed the empire. The slaves were freed. The mind f1ayers fled into the deep places of the worlds, vowing to rebuild their strength and to wreak terrible vengeance. The race's original name has long been lost, but scholars named it8ith in honor ofthe great Iiberator_ The gith did not have long to celebrate their new free­ dom. Even before their wounds had been healed and the rubble cleared, problems arose. The gith were still strictly regimented and controlled by a leader who treated them as an army fighting a war, rather than as a free people ready to build a new society. Such discipline comforted many gith, but others chafed against it. Among the latter, Zerthimon was the most vocal in denouncing Gith: Although she had been an excellent leader in war, she had proved unable to lead a people in peace. He called for her to step down. Gith refused to relinquish her command, but Zerthi­ mon and his followers would not tolerate another tyrant. Zerthimon challenged Gith directly. The two great gith leaders lifted their blades, stained with the blood of mind flayers, and met each other on the battlefield as the gith looked on. Although Gith's skill in battle was superior, Zerthimon gained an advantage over her and won the contest. He spared her life, but the conflict had created a deep divi­ sion w ithin the gith race. Zerthimon I'ed his supporters away from the ruined iHithid empire to make a new home in the Elemental Chaos. Gith and her followers also left the world, but they moved to the Astral Sea. The two halVes of the gith people developed along dif­ ferent paths, u'ltimately becoming separate raCes. Gith's followers in the Astral Sea became the githyanki, and Zerthimon's followers in the Elemental Chaos became the githzerai.

Each githzerai settlement is an oasis of calm in the seething Elemental Chaos, usually a walled city built on an earthmote. Cenobites and mindmages patrol the wall, watching for incursions. Other githzerai sit or stand in quiet meditation throughout the fortress· city, exercising their focused will to keep the turmoil at bay. Outsiders receive close scrutiny, often having cenobites assigned to keep track of their moves and moods. As mortal creatures, githzerai require food and water. They can direct the unstable plane's mutabil· ity to transform some of the local environment to

ZERTH1MON'S FATE As with so many figu res of myth, Zerthimon's final fate remains unknown. Githzerai historians agree that after his duel with Gith, Zerthimon led his followers to the Elemental Chaos, where they established their monas­ tic society. They also agree that he was an able leader for many decades, and that he trained the first githzerai monks. Then, apparently, he simply disappeared. Many stories purport to tell Zerthimon's fate. The most popular among githzerai is that he achieved a profound form of enlightenment, far deeper than that attained by the hermit liricosa {page 148)-perhaps even divine insight. Zerthimon transcended his mortal form to become an immortal being of pure energy, subtly gUiding his people in their quest to follow him to this supreme state. He is no longer troubled by thoughts of violence against his enemies, and those who sense his presence can feel his peaceful nature. Other scholars scoff at these tales, calling them exis­ tential nonsense. Zerthimon was a great leader and left a great heritage, but his end was no mystery. He simply died, as all mortals do; his followers held a grand funeral for him, and all knew of his passing. Only later, when Zerthimon's life and death became clouded from the pas­ sage of time, did historians and wishful thinkers invent more fantastic fates for him. A darker story, and one that offends most githzerai, is that Zerthimon did die-but only in part. Unwilling to abandon his people, he delved into forbidden arts to extend his life beyond death. He became a lich, just as Gith herself had done. However, after performing the rituals necessary to achieve this state, Zerthimon was horrified at what he had done. He realized that if his people saw him in this state, they wou'ld turn from his teachings and all his achievements would be for naught. He fled to some forgotten place in the Elemental Chaos, where he dwells still, wrestling with the evil of his existence and trying to guide his people without their knowledge. Interestingly, githyanki also take bitter offense at this tale, because they believe it would diminish Gith if their race's greatest traitor had managed to join her in immortality.

elemental water, but food is harder to acquire. Crops and livestock are brought in from other planes, particularly the Feywild and the Astral Sea. Visi­ tors to a githzerai settlement might be surprised by markets featuring ears ofsilver corn or hulking, red -skinned hogs.

OUTLOOK AND INTERACTION Githzerai are suspicious of outsiders, but they reserve true hatred for their ancient enemies: the mind flay­ ers and their brutal kin, the githyanki. They kill such creatures on Sight, and they form special groups to hunt them down across the planes. Anyone who grievously wrongs the githzerai people might also be the target of relentless pursuit.

MAJOR DOMAINS The githzerai boast more communities within the Elemental Chaos than most other races, but only a few are large or important enough to be known to outsiders.

ARSANITH Arsanith is a legend among the githzerai, but a few planar travelers report having actually seen the place. Tales say that it is a small monastery deep within the Elemental Chaos, far from any other outpost of civilization, where only those who have touched enlightenment dwell. Arsanith's inhabitants are said to have such control over the surrounding chaos that they alter it purely by instinct, keeping out elemental beasts and demons. They Similarly notice any other creature that nears their monas­ tery and cloak their existence if they do not wish to be found. However, the tales also say that anyone who has glimpsed enlightenment is welcome in ArsanHh-even githyanki. SANZERATHAD This githzerai settlement barely survives the wilds of the Elemental Chaos. For more information about Sanzerathad, see page 86. ZERTHADLUN The largest githzerai city in the Elemental Chaos is one of the best places for outsiders to enjoy some of the safety and comforts of civilization. Zerthadlun is described in more detail in Manual ofthe Planes, pages 77-78.

CHA PTER 2

I

Races of Chaos

- . _ . - . - . _ - .- . - . _-- '---.- . - . - . - . - . ­

SLAADS Embodying disorder and entropy, slaads claim all of the Elemental Chaos as their stomping grounds. They are not primordials, elementals, nor demons, but chaos made flesh, and they delight in the fury of clashing elements. Those slaads that prize knowledge and intel­ ligence more highly than instinct know several hundred origin myths regarding their kind. Most such stories contradict each other, but one theme is shared by all of them: Slaads claim that they are the only sentient beings to inhabit the universe, and that all other creatures that believe themselves to be self-aware have that belief only in their own fevered imaginings. The conflict between the slaads' origin stories invalidates all of the tales, in the opinion of most sages, and is just one more example of the chaos that slaads embrace. However, one controversial theory claims that all the stories are true because many alternate realities exist-possibly even an infinite number. That individual slaads tell different stories indicates that these unique creatures descended from different universes and perhaps can yet see dimly into realms other than the one they occupy. Perhaps multiple universes collapsed into a Single cosmos, and only slaads still remember the infinite possibilities of other timelines. Now trapped in a single reality, they rebel against its strictures and embrace chaos as a way of breaking free into the wider multiverse. Scholars generally consider this idea ludicrous at best. Slaads' thoughts are clouded with maddening images, and they seem aware of things beyond the perception of other creatures, but these facts do not prove the existence of a wider reality.

SLAAD SOCIETY LORE Arcana DC 20: Most slaads seem insane and dis­ tracted, as though they are aware of things that other creatures cannot perceive. Those capable of more rea­ soned thought claim that they are the only sentient creatures in the cosmos. Arcana DC 25: Slaads roam the Plane Below in search of areas of spectacular chaos. This quest some­ times brings them into contact with demons, who share their taste for destruction, but the two groups do not cooperate. Arcana DC 30: Slaads have hundreds of conflict­ ing origin stories, and one theory claims that all are true. The slaads see multiple realities at once. Their search for chaos is an attempt to tear down the walls that separate universes. They follow chaos storms in this pursuit, the largest of which is the Great Red Tempest.

CHAPTER 2 I Races of Chaos

Arcana DC 35: From time to time, slaads are drawn to a strange object known as the Spawning Stone. This huge artifact is needed for reproduction, but scholars also believe it might trap the slaads in their current form and reality.

LIFE AND CULTURE A slaad's life is filled with constant bedlam; peace­ fulness and inactivity are torture to these frenzied creatures. Chaos is almost as vital as food for slaads-when tumult dies down, they suffer pangs of discontent. Slaads have no permanent home and never rest. They roam the Elemental Chaos in small packs, hunt­ ing for food and for spectacularly chaotic or violent phenomena. Slaads are sometimes encountered with demons, even though the two groups share no affin­ ity, because both kinds of creatures are drawn to acts of devastation. Once the destruction is complete, though, the two groups might end up fighting each other. Just as hunter tribes of the world follow migrat­ ing herds, slaad packs trail chaos storms (Manual ofthe Planes, page 67). A storm might drag large masses of stony or watery debris in its wake, creating a temporary landscape that pursuing slaads briefly inhabit. Slaads relish these violent manifestations of chaos and seem to be immune to their effects. They fall upon creatures wounded in a storm's tumult or salvage interesting materials transformed by its real­ ity-altering power. If sJaads do perceive other worlds Simultaneously, they might be attracted to chaos storms because they believe the barriers between multiple realities are thinnest at a storm's center.

OUTLOOK AND INTERACTION Slaads seem interested only in increasing entropy, both through violent actions and by growing their own numbers with the spread of chaos phage (page 142). Thus, their interaction with other creatures is rarely harmonious. Even demons and devils can be bound by pacts, however short-lived those agree­ ments might be. Making a deal with a slaad is nearly impossible. Those who hold to the multiworId theory of slaad origin believe that slaads act as they do for a deeper reason: Slaads spread chaos in an effort to break down the structured bonds of reality. Constrained to one existence, one time, and one rule of cause and effect, slaads rail against order because it is their prison, and they embrace chaos as the key to freedom.

MAJOR SITES Slaads wander most of the Elemental Chaos, but they are always found in some locations.

THE GREAT RED TEMPEST The storms of raw chaos that sweep across the Plane Below threaten travelers and natives alike. Some are so large and long-lasting that they have acquired names. The Great Red Tempest is one such monster: a churning, blood-colored maelstrom that slowly rolls through the Elemental Chaos. A typical chaos storm (Manual of the Planes, page 67) is rarely more than a few feet in radius, but the Great Red Tempest extends for miles in all directions. Several slaad packs ride behind it on tumbling, burrow-riddled stones the size of moun­ tains or swim in the miniature seas that spin in its wake. When the storm boils across an inhabited region, the slaads launch themselves out to tear into survivors who are still regaining their bearings. The tunnels that pierce the storm-lashed boul­ ders are strewn with oddities collected from the storm, sometimes valuable but often merely shiny junk. Ruined structures sprawl across one rocky mass, apparently the remains of a compound founded by humans to establish a foothold for their explorations of the Elemental Chaos. Slaads come and go from the Great Red Tempest, but one is always at the storm's heart: a void slaad called Vinakr Abudn. The other slaads supply the ebony creature with food and water as it meditates constantly, seeking a way to use the power of the storm to tear down the walls of creation. THE SPAWNING STONE Drifting through the Elemental Chaos is a great whorled and multicolored sphere several hundred feet in diameter, cloaked by an enormous vortex of churning elemental fury. The whorls gradually mix across the sphere's face, and burning white runes gird it in three broad bands at, above, and below its equator. This huge structure is known to slaads as the Spawning Stone. Every few years, according to no predictable schedule, a subset of the slaad population feels an undeniable urge to travel to the Spawning Stone's location and procreate. The stone's power tugs relentlessly at slaads wherever they might be, aJIow­ ing them to find it unerringly as it wanders the Plane Below. The slaads converge at the Spawning Stone in a mating frenzy. Some quality of the sphere quickens the egg sacs under their claws, enabling the growth of tiny embryos for implantation in prey; otherwise, slaads would produce no offspring. A few who visit the stone are transformed into slaad spawners

(Monster Manual 2, page 185), which begin to bud and grow embryos beneath their skin rather than under their claws. The runes on the Spawning Stone are in no known script, but slaads that study the lore of their race believe them to be an arcane stricture. Whatever agency confined the slaads to a single reality seems also to prevent these beings of manifest chaos from developing new physical forms over generations. The offspring of slaads that congregate at the stone are limited to a handful of toad like shapes. The most ancient living slaads, including Ygorl, Lord of Entropy (page] 56), and Bazim-Gorag the Firebringer, might know the reason behind their limited forms. They might even be responsible for creating the burni ng runes. If so, none of these pri­ meval slaads have ever revealed their knowledge. However, similar runes sometimes appear on the Pandemonium Stone (page 80), another curious arti­ fact that could be the physical anchor for the slaads' imprisonment in just one existence. A powerful and long-lived slaad called the Guard­ ian of the Stone remains always with the sphere. The Guardian sees to it that the sphere remains off limits to any creatures other than slaads.

CHAPTER 2

I Races of Chaos

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OTHER RACES Many other races also make their homes in the Plane Below, even if they are not as numerous or as influ­ ential as those described above. Demons, the native creatures of the Abyss, are discussed in more detail in Chapter 4.

DAO These reclusive creatures of earth occupy a unique place in the complex web of relations between the ancient elemental races. The dao took no sides in the Dawn War, remaining neutral even when the djinns begged them for help. The djinns blamed their refusal for the losses they suffered. Today, however, only the most hardened caliph still harbors acrimony toward that race, for the djinns' punishment was ulti­ mately at the hands of the gods. The dao are masters of earth and stone, and they consider their property to be all that naturally occurs or grows within those materials. Their love of gems puts dwarves to shame, and they might travel across planes to establish a new mine if the lode is promis­ ing. The possessiveness of dao leads them to reclaim treasures of the earth from other beings who, in their opinion, do not deserve them. Dao have the most hierarchical society of all elemental races other than the efreets. The sharif is the supreme ruler, ensconced in the race's ancestral home in the Elemental Chaos. This place, called the Great Dismal Delve, is carved into a massive block of freestanding earth. Though the dao constantly bore through its interior, the stone constantly renews itself from within so that they can never remove it all. This cycle of activity spawns great earthquakes that rattle through the Delve.

DEMONS Demons normally dwell in the Abyss, and their behavior is described in more detail in chapter 4. Since no strict boundary separates the Abyss from the rest of the Elemental Chaos, though , demons can be encountered anywhere in the plane. Demons in general don't form communities. They are living engines of destruction that slaughter every­ thing in Sight; when other victims are unavailable, they readily turn against one another. They have no underlying reason for their chaotic rampage, as slaads might, but act simply out of their nature. On occasion, a more ambitious demon develops the urge to rule. The mightiest of these become demon princes, but the less powerful ones browbeat weaker demons into service and enslave other crea ­ tures rather than destroying them. Such rulers are as

CHAPTER 2

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Races of Chaos

instinctively destructive as other demons, but their devastation is slightly more organized and on a larger scale. Each demonic regime reflects the persona of its ruler, but all share certain features . There are no laws beyond requiring instant obedience to the ruler's every whim, which is enforced through cruelty and torture. Daily life is nothing more or less than a struggle for survival: The strong literally prey on the weak. Their rulers constantly seek to expand by con­ quering neighboring settlements, and their demonic armies are made up largely of volunteers. Soldiers in the service of demon overlords receive slightly better treatment than most others-as long as they keep win­ ning and don't irritate a foul-tempered superior.

DWARVES Dwarves are not native to the Elemental Chaos, but a few dwell there nonetheless, hidden in the crags and caves of mountainous regions. Some are descen­ dants of the giants' slaves from ages past who did not mutate into new races such as the galeb duhrs. Others arrived more recently, after delving so deep into the world that they were transported to regions of elemental earth in the Plane Below. Both groups are insular and heaVily suspicious of outsiders. Such dwarven communities must survive on scant resources , since few regions of the Elemental Chaos can support crops or herds. Their inhabitants rarely trade or interact with others except out of necessity, and their dour attitude only reinforces the worst ste­ reotypes of a race that is already seen as standoffish. These communities develop strict and intricate codes oflaw, and the punishment for violating these tradi ­ tions can be brutal-another disincentive for others to visit. However, the dwarves might lend a sympathetic ear to outsiders who seek aid to fight giants or to free an enslaved population, since they have never for­ gotten their long-ago servitude and still resent their former overlords.

CRE AT1NG

ELEMENTAL BEASTS

In addition to the elementals presented in the Monster Manuals and other publications, countless elemental beasts wander the Plane Below. You can translate a beast or magical beast of nonelemental origin into an elemental version with a minimum of work. A cave bear could become a stone-based predator simply by giving it the earth keyword and immunity to petrification; a nightmare can be made of pure fire and given the fire keyword and immunity to fire. Such beasts need not look like their natural counterparts- an elemental bear might resemble a hul king, rocky mass, while a shark might be formed of viscous water with teeth of ice.

E LEMENTALS Elementals are the wild animals of the Elemental Chaos, as are other bestial elemental creatures, such as magma beasts, flame snakes, and rimefire grif­ fons. Though some are more intelligent than natural beasts, they are creatures of instinct rather than intel­ lect. They consume and reproduce, with no desire to form communities or even such loose groups as tribes. Elementals sometimes form packs or extended family units that hunt in a somewhat organized way. Such groups do not govern areas as sentient beings do, but they dominate a region through sheer num­ bers. More intelligent creatures of the Plane Below occasionally capture and train elementals as pets or servants.

HUMANS The Elemental Chaos is home to a considerable number of humans. Some are new arrivals, but many groups of humans have been here for generations; like genasi, most humans dwell in communities dominated by other races. The City of Brass has a large human population, made up mainly ofslaves, though freed servants, merchants, and craftsfolk are common as well. Genasi settlements, though rare, frequently include sizable human minorities. Several giant communities keep humans as slaves. A few human-dominated communities exist as well, from isolated, struggling villages to major trading centers. Becasue humans reproduce and spread more rapidly than other civilized races do, surviving in the Elemental Chaos is even more difficult for them. Few areas offer sufficient fertile soil and drinking water to support an expanding population while lacking hazardous elements or creatures, and many nascent human populations do not survive. Those human communities that do sustain themselves in the Plane Below are just as varied as those in the natu­ ral world. with an enormous variety of cultures and governments.

P HOELARCHS These natural humanoids (described in Monster Manual 2) share their souls with the elemental pho­ eras, winged entities of fire perhaps related to the wondrous phoenix. Although most phoelarchs dwell in the natural world, a few have become fascinated with exploring their dual nature. They travel to the Elemental Chaos, hoping to track down the pho­ eras with whom they share their essence. Phoeras, although intelligent. lack the desire to form com­ munities, instead soaring through the heights of the Elemental Chaos alone or in flocks.

Some phoelarchs join existing communities, but Vl IJ,J a few have established villages of their own. These U small societies have little interest in interacting with « outsiders. but neither are they innately hostile. Travel- 0:: ers in need of shelter or assistance might be welcome (or at least tolerated) for a brief time. Phoelarchs are J: rigidly honorable, but their customs and sense of honor differ greatly from one community or individ­ ual to the next. Formerly affable hosts might turn on a visitor suddenly in response to the slightest offense, or for reasons the outsider never fully understands.

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8

PRIMORDIALS Those primordials who survived the Dawn \Var remain imprisoned or deep in slumber, scattered across the breadth of the Elemental Chaos. The presence of even a dormant primordial greatly influ­ ences the development of any nearby community, regardless of the races that populate it. Such societ­ ies drift toward the worship of that primordial, or of primordials in general, whether in hidden cults or open temples. Perhaps the primordial's resting place draws those already incJined to worship it, or its overwhelming presence slowly twists the minds of other beings. A primordial 's influence is evident in a commu­ nity's appearance and character, even if the worship itself is hidden. A settlement built on a primordial of stone displays low, squat architecture. while one near an entity of water might have eurved streets and flowing artwork featuring soft lines. The regions surrounding such communities are home to con­ centrations of e1ementals that share the nearby primordial's essence, and the citizens might consider such creatures to be holy.

THOSE WH O ROAM Conventiona l wisdom and re ligiOUS doctrine mai ntai n that all primordials were e ither slain or imprisoned by the gods at the end of the Dawn War. This is untrue. A scant few unchained primordials yet roam the cosmos-primarily the Elemental Chaos, but the other \planes as well. How beings of such immense power and such destructive instinct can remain hidden is unclear. Scholars hypothesize that the free primordials have either lost much of the power they had in their prime or are so subtle that they-and their terrible plots-are invisible to all. Even the most learned sages know the names of only two free primordia Is. One is Iktha-Lau the Ever Empty, the utter cold from the darkest voids. The other, Ulctilan­ tilokla, is a creature only pardy real that is said to have germinated from the seed of the multiverse's first dream.

CHAPTER 2

I Races of Chaos

CHAPTER 3

THE ELEMENTAL Chaos is infinite: Even the portion known to natural creatures dwarfs their world. You might lead the characters along ways wending through preconceived locales or fill previously unknown spaces with cultures and landscapes pulled from the peculiar, grotesque, and scintillating depths ofyour psyche. Whether you prefer examples of adventuring areas in the Plane Below, or want some details about its most important or infamous regions, we've got you covered. This chapter presents ten areas of the Elemental Chaos, some unique and others archetypal. By introducing variations to suit the strangeness of the Elemental Chaos as you perceive it, you can make them unique to your campaign. Each locale described in this chapter includes the following information. • Overview: Here you'll find a general description of the locale and its place in the Plane Below. • Inhabitants and Culture: If the area contains organized settlements, their nature is described here. Some areas are too wild to have an identifiable culture, but Significant inhabitants are discussed. • Major Areas: This entry summarizes important cities, fortresses, and other sites of note in the region. • Adventures: This entry includes a list of environmental hazards and notable terrain features in the locale, followed by several sample encounters to threaten the characters. Following those ten sections are three mini­ adventures, including tactical encounters, in a variety of interesti ng locations in the Elemental Chaos. You can run them as one-offs, plant them as seeds oflarger adventures, or use them as models for elemental encounters of your own design.

C HAPT E R

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Elemental Locales

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THE BRAZEN BAZAAR

It begins as a gleam in the distance, flickers of fire amid a black thunderhead rolling over the horizon. As the billows of smoke come closer, they solidify into an elevated highway stretching across emptiness. Atop this bridge ofsmoke, tongu es offire take the shapes of azer and genasi riders upon horses of flame drawing ebony buggies, painted wagons, and brass-gilded carriages. Within those vessels, efreet merchants tabulate the value of their goods. Salaman­ ders and fire giants march alongside, sculpting living shapes from smoke and flame. This is the Brazen Bazaar, a traveling marketplace and carnival originating from the City of Brass. Lni­ tially one of several caravans that supplied outposts, the bazaar has evolved into a market as great as any within the city that spawned it. It reaches deep into the Elemental Chaos and into other worlds.

INHABITANTS AND CULTURE In full , the Brazen Bazaar includes thousands of merchants managed by a cabal of efreets called the Golden Hearth. Few individuals see the entire bazaar. Depending on the importance of its des­ tination, it manifests as anything from a handful of wagons to a caravan stretching as far as the eye can see. Azers, genasi, and giants perform the physical labor of moving and maintaining the caravan. Work­ ers of flame, such as salamanders and mystically inclined giants, provide side entertainment: flame sculptures, shows of strength, and acrobatics. But the largest crowds flock to peruse the rare and magical goods offered by the merchants. Though the Golden Hearth considers the City of Brass its home. it holds no allegiance to the Lord of the Efreets or to any noble house. All creatures, including efreets, must pay for the goods, services, and information that the caba] has acquired from dis­ tant places.

MAJOR AREAS The Brazen Bazaar consists of wheeled vehicles and contraptions suited for easy transport across the bridge of smoke. The bridge coalesces a few dozen feet ahead of the first vehicle and dissolves a few dozen yards behind the last one. Sometimes the bazaar sets up shop on the ground or another solid surface. At other times, the drivers establish a platform of smoke accessible to patrons by ramps or stairs. Given a Significant enough location. the bazaar includes all the following structures.

CHAPTER 3

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Elemental Locales

The Golden Market: This elite section of the bazaar consists of enclosed wagons that are larger inside than out, due to pocket dimensions such as those in baas ofholdill8. Lieutenants, such as other efreets and lesser creatures, run other market stalls, but the Golden Market is the exclusive province of the Golden Hearth efreets. In a Golden Market wagon, rows of tables and shelves line long hallways lit by brass chandeliers and by solid elemental fire. All manner of magic items and rare goods are sold here, though their prices are higher than those in the City of Brass. Portals link the Golden Market wagons to the City of Brass, enabling the Golden Hearth to replenish goods that go out of stock. Attendant's Carriage: Like Golden Market wagons, the homes-on-wheels of the Golden Hearth are larger inside than they appear. The greatest such carriage belongs to Attendant Hephrandiun, leader of the Golden Hearth. Its exterior is a large carriage, gilded in brass and draped in silks; inside, it resem­ bles a mansion, replete with audience chambers, hidden rooms, and a shrine to the primordial Imix, Lord of Fire. The Tent: When the Brazen Bazaar remains in a place for more than a few days. its workers erect a canvas tent several hundred yards wide. Covered in Barazhad runes and stitched with trails of elemental fire, the tent protects the portion of the market within it from bad weather and the plane's randomness.

ADVENTURES The characters might seek the Brazen Bazaar if they require a rare item, or they might hear of an ally or an enemy traveling with the caravan. They might even join the bazaar to travel under its auspices. The traveling market sometimes crosses regions of fire and intense heat to appear in planes outside the Ele­ mental Chaos, so the characters might encounter it in their world or in the Feywild (and follow leads from there into the Elemental Chaos). The bazaar's merchants are rigidly amoral. and their heartless profiteering sometimes inspires heroic intervention. An efreet might offer provisions to a poverty-stricken community-in exchange for the enslavement of all the community's firstborn. A des­ perate adventurer might acquire an artifact, but only in exchange for an open-ended favor or a long-term oath of service. Efreets of the Golden Hearth use ritu­ als to ensure that such oaths are kept.

ENVIRONMENTAL FEATURES The Brazen Bazaar travels above and across almost all kinds of terrain. Its only consistent environmental features are those that travel with it.

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Canvas: The canvas of the protective tent is as tough as leather and immune to fire damage. It regenerates 10 hit points per round. Portals: A few of the Golden Market's wagons con­ tain portals to the City of Brass. Smoke: Squares filled with smoke are heavily obscured. Smoke, Solid: The solid smoke on which the bazaar travels has the consistency ofstone.

ENCOUNTER GROUPS Efrects of the Golden Hearth leave the running of markets to servants when the Brazen Bazaar trav­ els to small communities, so encounters can suit characters of a range oflevels. The Golden Hearth hires anyone who proves useful and can survive the environment. Level 11 Encounter (XP 3,200) + 1 azer foot soldier (level 14 soldier, MM 22) + 1 firelasher (level 11 skirmisher, MM 104) + 2 flame steeds' (level 13 skirmisher, MM 196) 'Treat flame steeds as nightmares, but with the elemental origin instead of shadow and adding the fire keyword.

Level 17 Encounter (XP 8,000) + 1 azer beastlord (level 17 soldier, MM 23) + 3 azer warriors (level 17 minion, MM 22) + 1 firebred hell hound (level 17 brute, MM 160) + 2 salamander archers (level 15 artillery, MM 226) + 1 salamander noble (level 15 controller, MM 227) Level 22 Encounter (XP 22,600) + 2 efreet flamestriders (level 23 skirmisher, MM99) + 2 fire giants (level 18 soldier, MM 123) + 1 fire giant forgecaller (level 18 artillery, MM 123) + 1 fire titan (level 21 elite soldier, MM 124) Level 25 Encounter (XP 41,400) + 2 efreet cinderlords (level 23 artillery, MM 98) + 2 efreet flamestriders (level 23 skirmisher, MM99) + 1 efreet pyresinger (level 25 controller, MM 99) + Hephrandiun, efreet pyresinger demagogue (level 25 elite controller, MM 99 and DMG 178)

CHAPTER 3

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Elemental Locales

Hundreds of miles across, Canaughlin Bog drifts in chaos currents, bonding with other isles for hours or years at a time. Portions of Canaughlin are norma} fens, complete with trees and other ordinary plants. Other parts exhibit signs of chaos: hillocks of ice and stone protruding from waters that swirl in physics· defying currents over caustic mud. The swamp received its name two centuries ago from cladrin explorers of the Feywild. Its horrors and hazards have since defeated all manner of adventur­ ers, other travelers, and enterprising elementals.

INHABITANTS AND CULTURE The fen supports sporadic villages. The largest groups of inhabitants are the Tinder-Takers and a fey com­ munity called Raenrirriel. Tinder-Takers: The Tinder-Takers are a revolving assortment of genasi fugitives from Threshold (page 57) and Gloamnull (page 74), githzerai too undisci­ plined for monasteries, and slaves escaped from the efreets. The Tinder-Takers' numbers and the environ­ ment protect them from pursuers. They spend their time battling swamp hazards, raiding vessels and mounts in a rickety but weU-armed airship called the Poison Storm, and hOlling and supplementing their skills in hopes of striking down their oppressors. Raenrirriel Fey: The fey of Raenrirriel have dwelt in Canaughlin since the days of the first eladrin explorers. Over the years, they have mutated into uglier, more twisted creatures. A cabal of hags that have elemental powers leads the community. The hags have come to believe that they will master the plane. After all, the fey are creatures of nature, and what is nature but the elements? So far, however, the hags have not developed potent elemental rituals or gained a foothold in any elemental societies.

MAJOR AREAS Terrain and other hazards make deadly combinations throughout the bog, so any part of the swamp can be lethal. Three infamous areas are described below. The Black Pool: Sinkholes and pits abound in Canaughlin. Among them is the Black Pool, normally an ordinary pit leading to a series of muddy under­ water caves. At random intervals, it becomes a portal to Shedaklah, a festering, swampy layer of the Abyss overseen by the demon lords Juiblex and Zuggtmoy. Abyssal energy inundates the area around the pool. Elementals that die here rise as blight-born demons (page 132), and mortals rise as abyssal ghouls (Mon­ ster Manual, page 118) or other horrors. Flotsam: This village, the home of the Tinder-Tak­ ers, has buildings made of pieces of stone and wood C HAPTER 3 I Elemental Locales

that the Tinder-Takers have procured from a hundred different sources. Flotsam stands on a low, broad hill­ ock of acid-tainted soil, surrounded by a palisade of jagged wood and bits of broken iron and glass. Raenrirriel: The fey settlement lies in a grove of petrified cypress trees protruding from a basin of thin, watery mud. Bolts of diseased yellow and brUise-purple lightning flicker between the trees, illuminating bone, iron, stone, and wood structures built among the branches. Upper echelons of fey live in these structures, while lesser fey dwell in cham­ bers formed beneath the mud by the trees' roots. The area of and surrounding Raenrirriel is more stable than most of the Elemental Chaos; for hundreds of yards in every direction, it seems to be part of the nat­ ural world. Creatures that can normally manipulate the plane'S turbulence are unable to do so here.

ADVENTURES Of all the swamps throughout the cosmos, only the Fenreach in the world (Draconomicon: Chromatic Draa­ ons, page 238), the Murkendraw (Manual of the Planes, page 45) and a few moors of the Shadowfell are larger than Canaughlin Bog. A soup of environments churns across Canaughlin, so that traveling across it is an adventure in itself. Canaughlin harbors portals that lead to swamps in other realms, including those mentioned above and the mud flats ofMinauros (Manual of the Planes, page 100). During the Blood War (Manual of the Planes, page 89), these last portals served the devils well.

ENVIRONMENTAL FEATURES Much ofCanaughlin is typical swampland: shallow water and difficult terrain. Hillocks protrude from the muck of the bog's shallows and in deeper areas. The water ends abruptly at the edges and underside of the isle. Chaotic Depths: Swamp water oozes among obstacles and through murky caves in the deeps. Elemental creatures, and fey who have dwelt in Canaughlin for generations, take advantage of these sluggish currents to move more freely through the swamp. As long as such creatures are swimming in water at least 5 feet deep, they can move without penalty through spaces one size smaller than they are and can squeeze through spaces two sizes smaller. Elemental Spouts: Boiling, freezing, caustic, or venomous swamp water can erupt in elemental spouts, as described on page 14. Energy Moss: Clumps of abnormally resilient moss hang from branches and float on swamp water. They absorb cold, fire, lightning, poison, or thunder energy from the chaotic environment. Each square of energy moss functions as a square of elemental seep­ age and as a square of energy crystals (Manual ofthe Planes, page 22).

Icy Crust: Swamp water can crust over with ice, forming difficult terrain. A character fa l1ling prone on the ice must make a saving throw or break through. Portals: Parts of the bog, both underwater and on land, mystically connect to other locations. Locations linked by portals generally lie within 20 squares of and in line ofSight to each other. A character ending its turn in a portal space teleports to the location linked to that space. Swamp Water: Canaughlin water flows chaoti­ cally. Each round, currents push an affected creature up to 4 squares (ld6 - 2, minimum 0) in a random direction. See "Underwater Terrain" on page 45 of the Dun8eon Master's Guide for more information. Swamp Water, Acidic: A creature that starts its turn in acidic swamp water takes Id6 acid damage. If the damage roll is 6, the creature is also blinded until the end of its next turn. Bogs of acidic mire (page 12) occur near deep pools of acidic swamp water. Swamp Water, Boilin8: A creature that starts its turn in boiling swamp water takes Id8 fire damage. Swamp Water, Freezin8: A creature that starts its turn in freezing swamp water takes Id6 cold damage, and the Endurance check DC to avoid losing healing surges from suffocation increases by 2. Swamp Water. Thick: Thick water is difficult terrain for creatures swimming or walking through it. Trees: Swamp trees might be living or petrified. They are blocking terrain and provide cover.

ENCOUNTER GROUPS Encounters that occur in normal swamps also happen in Canaughlin. but with elemental twists. Alien predators lurk in the waters, suspicious villag­ ers turn on passersby, and the environment seethes with malevolent will. Create the hags ofRaenrirriel by using the frost adept and scion of flame templates (Dun8eon Master's Guide, pages 179 and 181) or the druid, shaman, or wizard class templates. The 15th-level encounter below provides examples using the frost adept template. Level 11 Encounter (XP 3,175) .. 1 Crushing Wave hierophant (level 10 artillery. page 154) .. 2 Crushing Wave initiates (level 8 soldier. page 155) .. 1 githzerai zerth (level 13 elite controller, MM 130) .. 5 human lackeys (level 7 minion, MM 162) Level 22 Encounter (XP 21,500) .. 2 ash-wrought soulburners (level 19 controller, page 133) .. 1 consumptive swarm (level 21 elite skirmisher, page 133) .. 1 field of everflame hazard (level 18 blaster, DMG 92) .. 2 hezrous (level 22 brute, MM 56) C HAPTER 3

I

Elemental Locales

_'-_'-'_'_-.-.--.--.-.-.-.-.-,--.­

THE CHOK1NG PALACE Far from the City of Brass and the monasteries of the githzerai lies Fume, a duchy that swears fealty only to Ehkahk, the Smoldering Duke (page 146). In Fume's center, floating on roiling smoke, stands the Choking Palace, from where Ehkahk has ruled for more than a century. Winged shapes flit and soar behind veils of smoke and among clusters offantastically tall, spin ­ dly towers. The bastion's walls of steel-hard smoke resemble ash-coated iron. Its few windows weep tears of flowing smoke. The castle existed long before Ehkahk took posses­ sion of it. The most widely accepted tale ofits creation claims that Ehkahk or a creature like him converted the cloudstuff of a djinn fortress into smoke. Other tales attribute the palace's construction to a rogue efreet, to a primordial, or to devils requiring an out­ post in the Blood War. Both efrects and devils have occupied the castle at different times, but Ehkahk now holds it firmly in his grasp.

INHABITANTS AND CULTURE The impoverished denizens of Fume love and fear their liege. Ehkahk offers gifts of gems and magiC to those who please him and visits brutality upon any who offend or disobey him. The duchy comprises half a dozen city-sized land­ masses and a few dozen smaller ones. vVhether of earth, stone, or swampland, they all contain moun­ tains, fog, and smoke. The various races of creatures keep to themselves- elementals with elementals, humans with their kind, and so on-but all acknowl ­ edge the simple system of government: Do as Ehkahk's minions bid. Courtiers in the Choking Palace know their place based on where they stand in Ehkahk's favor. They jockey for position, surreptitiously disobeying and discrediting superiors. Ehkahk, in turn, makes few demands except to insist on respect for himself and to enforce security.

MAJOR AREAS Medium and Large creatures move comfortably through the wide passageways and tall doorways of the Choking Palace, despite its narrow architecture. Countless staircases distinguish its interior from that of more horizontal structures. The Churning Emporium: In the courtyard in front of the palace's blackened gates buzzes a market­ place supported by chunks of earth and paths of solid smoke. The stalls rise and fall like boats on a slow swell. Here, the peasants of Fume trade goods and news among themselves and with palace courtiers, CHAPTER 3 I Elemental Locales

as well as with traders and merchants working along the trade routes passing through Fume. Ehkahk allows only one public teleportation circle in Fume, located in the center of the marketplace. (A few pri ­ vate and transitory teleportation circles exist inside the palace.) Dungeon of Ash: Those who anger the Smolder· ing Duke, if they arc not slain outright, end up in the Dungeon ofAsh, deep in the bowels of the Choking Palace. Poisonous vapors fill the dungeons, making every breath agony: Those who inhale them suffer the pain of suffocation without lOSing consciousness or perishing from lack of air. Library: In the palace's central keep stands Ehkahk 's library, an enormous repository of writ­ ings. Even the greatest temples ofIoun and Vecna

OTHER MAJOR L OCAT10NS The Manual of the Planes su pplement prOVides morl1 information on several of the best-known locations of the Elemental Chaos. The Abyss (pages 78- 83): This section of Manual of the Planes briefly describes the realm of demons. Chapter 4 of this book proVides a more detailed overview of the Abyss's environment, inhabitants, and typical adventures. The City of Brass (page 73): The blaZing City of Brass, ruled by the lord of the Efreets, houses the efreet aristoc­ racy and diverse servants and slaves. Canals of burning magma slice it into districts. Despite the heat, the mar­ ketplaces attract merchants, traders, and adventurers from across the planes. The Keening Delve (page 76): A great entity (some say perhaps the primordial Haemnathuun) rests in the Keen­ ing Delve, a network of howling, wind-blasted tunnels carved within masses of rock. The entity's power attracts a wide array of creatures, including slaads, demons, and efreet explorers. The Keening Delve also interests the mysterious dao (see page 64 of this book). The Ninth Bastion (page 76): long ago, knights of the fallen empire Mira created the Ninth Bastion, one of the few Elemental Chaos strongholds held by natives of the natural world. Inhabitants of the Ninth Bastion serve the deities Bane and Erathis. Though they are militant and suspicious of outsiders, they nonetheless take in extra­ planar travelers seeking shelter. Zerthadlun (page 77): The largest githzerai com­ munity and the closest thing that far-flung race has to a societal center, Zerthadlun is both a city and a sprawling monastery. Through mental and physical labor, githzerai maintain its calm aura. Other githzerai monasteries model their philosophies after those practiced in Zer­ thadlun. Visitors, though rare, can find shelter here, as long as their presence harmonizes with the githzerai's ordered existence. The monastery suffers attacks from slaads, efreet saboteurs, and other forces threatened by the githzerai or by the cause of order.

lack some of the forgotten histories and mystical lore contained in the pages of the volumes here. Ehkahk strives to acquire every bit of recordable knowledge that exists throughout the cosmos. The Smoldering Duke spends much of the time in his library, perusing tomes and writing in his journals (or, according to gossip, falling asleep on the books he writes). He also scries on his palace through the smoke (see "Environmental Features"). The Shrouded Throne: The Smoldering Duke holds court in a hall in the central keep. He sits upon the Shrouded Throne, a seat of power formed of smoke and surrounded by eddies of black fumes. His audience can see only his eyes through the vapors. From here, Ehkahk can scry other parts of the palace through the smoke (see "Environmental Features") and teleport to any spot within Fume. Sooty Garden: Ehkahk's Sooty Garden produces a profusion of plants for pipes and braziers: various smoking herbs and incense. It rests in a courtyard between two of the castle's towers. Druids and trained e1ementals tend the scores of different plants growing in soil imported from the Feywild. Ash and smoke in the air coat the plants, giving them a sickly appearance despite their healthy condition.

ADVENTURES Ehkahk seeks to maintain power in Fume and to pro­ tect his people from outside threats, but he keeps any other objectives secret. Why does he collect ancient lore? Why does he maintain diplomatic relations with the City of Brass and other communities? Because of his secrecy, Ehkahk can serve as any sort of adversary for the characters. They might have something he wants, or they might seek a magic item or lore that he also covets. Perhaps they are allied with someone he considers an enemy. Ehkahk could also help the characters. They might need to gain permission to enter the library or nego· tiate for the release of a prisoner in the Dungeon of Ash. They might even arrive in Fume by accident and have to navigate the duchy's laws and customs before continuing on their way.

ENVIRONMENTAL FEATURES Smoke and vapors pervade the Choking Palace. Only the stoutest of respiratory systems escape unscathed. Smoke: Smoke fills the chambers and hallways. Each creature other than Ehkahk and his minions must make a successful DC 26 Endurance check every 8 hours to avoid lOSing a healing surge (see "Environmental Dangers," Dun8eon Master's Guide, page 159).

Smoke, Ma8ical: Nearly every room of the Choking Palace contains a brazier or an open flame that emits magical smoke. Ehkahk and his servants can easily see through this smoke. For everyone else, smoky areas are lightly or heavily obscured, depending on the smoke's density. While he is in the library, upon the Shrouded Throne, or in his chambers, Ehkahk can scry on any chamber or creature through the palace's smoke. Smoke, Solid: The solid smoke that forms walls and furniture in the Choking Palace has the consistency of iron. Vapors: Each living creature that breathes the poisonous vapors of the Dungeon ofAsh must make Endurance checks as though suffocating (Dun8eon Master's Guide, page 159). A creature that has no heal­ ing surges left takes no damage from the vapors but suffers continuous, agonizing pain. Affected creatures must escape the vapors to regain any healing surges. ENCOUNTER GROUPS The characters might encounter any sort of entity

within Fume, because Ehkahk welcomes all beings

that swear him fealty; however, the Citizenry fights

only ifit must. Ehkahk 's servants and soldiers, mostly

elemental in nature, present the greatest danger.

See "Ehkahk" on page 146 for other encounter

suggestions.

Level 13 Encounter (XP 4,600)

.. 1 beholder eye of flame (Ievel13 elite artillery,

MM32) .. 1 cloud of elemental steam hazard (level 14 blaster, Manual ofthe Planes 67) .. 2 fire lashers (level 11 skirmisher, MM 104) .. 1 tempest wisp (level 13 controller, Monster Manual 2 102) Level 18 Encounter (XP 10,200) .. 3 air archon zephyrhaunts (level 16 lurker, Manual ofthe PIa nes 114) .. 1 cambion hellfire magus (level 18 artillery, MM39) .. 1 genasi elemental dervish (level 18 elite skir­ misher, Monster Manua12 116) Level 21 Encounter (XP 18,375) .. 2 djinn thunderers (level 20 artillery, Monster Manual 2 71) .. 1 efreet fireblade (level 22 soldier, MM 98) .. 2 fire archon blazesteels (level 19 soldier, MM 19) .. 3 smoke hounds (level 23 minion soldier, page 147)

CHAPTER 3

I Elemental Locales

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A genasi trade city, Gloa mnulJ welcomes visitors. Adventurers can find standard and esoteric wares in its rain-soaked streets. Beneath the superficial friendliness, though, lurks a dark secret. The people ofGloamnull have turned to the demon prince Dagon (Monster Manual 2, page 45) to keep their city intact in the Elemental Chaos-and Dagon demands sacrifices. Twenty years ago, an upheaval in the City of Brass eliminated many members of an efreet noble house. Slaves of the house escaped, including some genasi who established Gloamnull as a village on a jagged earthmote. Patronage by a nearby githzerai monas­ tery kept the village alive, so the place became known as a safe harbor. More genasi gravitated to it. Ten years ago, an efreet trading vessel arrived in town. The efreets found the genasi to be more trac­ table than githzerai. Thus, within a year, Gloamnull became a minor trade hub. It continued to swell, attracting more genasi and a few other creatures because of its prosperity. Five years ago, clouds began to envelop the city. Over the course of several months, the clouds blocked out all external sources oflight. Then a tainted rain-potable only iffiltered-began to fall. It filled a natural trough around GloamnuIl, forming a moat, and flooded the tunnels and caverns that riddled the earthmote. Attacks by giants and archons followed the arrival of the rains, which continued to pour. Elementals born of the swirling chaos converged upon the city. Trade withered and stopped. Buildings collapsed, and walls fell. Genasi died. In desperation, Gloamnull's inhabitants per­ formed ritual sacrifices entreating Dagon to come to their aid . They swore their lives, their city, and their souls to him in exchange for his help. Thereafter, demonic fish appeared in the moat, and the attacks slowed. A trickle of trade resumed . The citizens cheered, pushing their fear of Dagon deep into the recesses of their minds. The rains continue to this day. Floodwaters spill over the sides of the moat and spout from holes around the earthmote's base.

INHABITANTS AND CULTURE Most ofGloamnuIl 's citizens are genasi. They worship Dagon, or at least bow before the demon prince even if they do not swear him fealty. Though oppressed by gloom and rain, they struggle to put on cheery faces for outsiders and use firesoul and stormsoul manifes­ tations (Monster Manual 2, page 118) to brighten the place. They long to escape Dagon's clutches but see no way to do so. CHAP T ER 3

I

Elemental Locales

Gloamnull's inhabitants take pride in their city's longevity, because genasi settlements are rare and typically short-lived. They welcome other genasi, indoctrinating them in Dagon's worship when possi­ ble. Those who resist indoctrination end up strapped to altars in the city's depths. Every thirty days or so, a wail pierces all corners of the city, compelling those disloyal to Dagon to drown themselves. Visitors who arrive at any other time are relatively safe; only a few genasi are true zealots. However, the inhabitants are even more prone to rage, depression, and mania than genasi in other places, which makes social and business interactions difficult. The chill and the damp prevail. Traders report weirdness but encounter few problems enter­ ing and leaVing the city. Genasi crafters have developed a means ofsolidi­ fying water from elementals into a sludge with which to fashion wares. Such items rarely last more than a few days' travel from Gloamnull. The citizens drink an ale made from local water, fungus, and ground­ up elemental extracts. They eat porridge made from crushed minerals and the bulging-eyed, weird fish that suck sludge from the moat's bottom.

MAJOR A REAS On its surface, Gloamnull is a trade city that has man­ aged to survive the hardships of the Elemental Chaos. A closer look reveals its grimmer reality. Battlements: Gloamnull still faces sporadic assaults from giants, elementals, and other hostile creatures. (Perceptive observers might note that the attackers are never demons.) Warriors patrol the walls and watch for incoming ships. Firesoul genasi send Signal flares to patrols and to incoming travelers. Darmond's Tower: Darmond, a shadar-kai wizard, moved into Gloamnull not long ago and erected a tower. He resists the town's faith and seems unaffected by the periodic wailing. He keeps to his tower, pointing a spyglass at the clouds, or uses magic to fly up to them, where he might remain for hours. The Grand Cathedral: A temple to Dagon, the Grand Cathedral lies beneath the main market square. Waist-high water laps at a blood-soaked altar and at the feet of fishlike statues. Genasi and nastier creatures guard the hidden entrance against visitors' curiosity. Tunnels: Demons grow in Gloamnull's watery tunnels. Sacrificed creatures return as twisted, stink­ ing versions of themselves, and servitors of Dagon swim or wade through the darkness. Even the genasi do not know what dwells in the deepest reaches, but

zealots shiver with ecstasy at stories of sentient slime and probing tentacles. The Warming Fire: Travelers frequent this inn, which has a fire elemental in the hearth to drive back the chill. Gar!, the proprietor and a Dagon devotee, sometimes poisons his guests' food.

ADVENTURES Gloamnull can serve your campaign as a simple

genasi trade city affected by the strangeness of the

Elemental Chaos. Ifyou use it to introduce the cult

of Dagon, though, you can overlay the area with per­

vasive despair and bloody sacrifices. The characters

might need to escape the cult, resist a sporadic attack

from outside forces, or investigate a disappearance.

Enterprising characters (such as sympathetic genasi)

might try to free the city from Dagon's grasp.

ENVIRONMENTAL FEATURES

The elemental and demonic influences on Gloamnull

create a variety of bizarre terrain and environments.

Moss and mildew grow everywhere.

Blood Rock: Years of sacrifice and random slaughter beneath Gloamnull have resulted in patches of blood rock (Dun8eon Master's Guide, page 67). Rain: The soul-deadening rain always falls. A square being drenched by the rain is lightly obscured. The constant rain extinguishes unprotected natural flames. Sacred Circles: Worshipers of Dagon have dedicated areas beneath Gloamnull and secret aboveground rooms to the demon prince. These func­ tion as sacred circles (Dunneon Master's Guide, page 68) for chaotic evil creatures. Some such areas also contain altars of zealotry (Dun8eon Master's Guide, page 92). Slides: Slime coats some of the sloping tunnels beneath Gloamnull, causing them to function as slides (Dun8eon Master's Guide, page 68). Traps: The genasi have littered Gloamnull (includ­ ing the tunnels beneath it) with traps to prevent visitors from learning of their worship of Dagon. They primarily employ warder traps, preferring to deter visitors rather than kill them. Water: Water floods tunnels under the city. When knee-deep or waist-deep, water is difficult ter­ rain. For water-filled tunnels, see "Aquatic Combat" on page 45 of the Dun8eon Master's Guide.

Level 8 Encounter (XP 1,800) + 1 canoloth (level 7 sold ier, Manual ofthe Planes 120) + 2 death shards (level 8 artillery, Monster Manual 2 34) + 6 genasi lackeys· (level 7 minion, MM 162) + 1 gorgon mud hazard (level 8 obstacle, page 18) ·Use the statistics for human lackeys. Level 12 Encounter (XP 3,400) + 1 foulspawn berserker (level 9 soldier, MM 112) + 1 foulspawn grue (level 8 controller, MM 112) + 1 foulspawn hulk (level 12 brute, MM 113) + 2 foulspawn seers (level 11 artillery, MM 113) + 1 vrock (level 13 skirmisher, MM 58) Level 16 Encounter (XP 8,000) + 1 aboleth overseer (level 18 elite controller, MM 8) + 8 aboleth servitors (level 16 minion, MM 9) + 8 canoloth harriers (level 13 minion , Manual ofthe Planes 120)

ENCOUNTER GROUPS If the characters glimpse Gloamnull 's sickly under­ belly, they might contend with genasi cultists and Dagon's ilk. such as demons, water-dwelling monstrosities, and aberrations twisted by ancient, unspeakable evil. Foulspawn can represent sacrificed humanoids or genasi warped by Dagon's influence.

Level 20 Encounter (XP 13,900) + 1 gibbering abomination (level 18 controller, 1\1M 126) + 4 kuo-toa guards (level 16 minion, MM 172) + 1 larva mage (level 21 elite artillery, MM 175) + 1 void crust hazard (level 22 obstacle, page 22) CHAPTER 3 I Elemental Locales

' - - ' - ' - - - - - '- . - . - .- . - . - . - . - ._ . ­

lRDOC MORDA A stretch ofjagged peaks marks the edge of a nation­ sized landmass floating in the Elemental Chaos. Towering from the sides of those mountains and the bottom of the earthmote, an array of iron protrusions juts in all directions like stabbing blades. Some pro­ trusions gleam as brightly as stars of the Astral Sea; others are choked by rust. These are the towers of Irdoc Morda, bastion of the archons. Servants of the primordia Is have long used the rocky isle on which Irdoc Morda stands. In the latter days of the Dawn War, archons and other elemental soldiers began forging increasing numbers of weap­ ons, having learned the value of such tools from followers of the gods. Thus, when other elemental beings discovered this isle, which was especially rich in iron but also in rare metals such as adamantine, they established a mining operation here. Earth and ice archons watched over giants and galeb duhrs, carving ever deeper into the stone. Primordials forged the first iron archons from the richest veins. As the mine came to supply not just the archons but also various elemental communities, more archons arrived as guards. They built fortifications, first ol"stone, then of iron, so plentiful was the ore. Now Irdoc Morda's tunnels run throughout the mountains, and its towers protrude hundreds offeet.

CHAPTER 3

I Elemental Locales

After the Dawn War, elemental factions such as giant tribes, genasi, and efreets continued to mine Irdoc Morda's ore under the watchful eyes of the archon natives. FinaJJy, miners depleted the ore, leaving a hollow shell of rock around a honeycomb of tunnels and caverns. They departed, seeking new resources. The archons remain.

INHABITANTS AND C ULTURE Archons of nearly every variety inhabit Irdoc Morda. Earth archons patrol the tunnels and surrounding lowlands. Ice archons dwell in the extremities (up, down, or sideways, depending on the towers' orienta­ tion). Throughout it all, in the greatest numbers, live iron archons. Archons of yet other types appear in smaller numbers, as emissaries of other archon com­ munities or of elemental powers. Unusually for archons. iron archons feel a sense of proprietorship toward Irdoc Morda and claim leader­ ship over all archons here. Even stranger. the other archons accept that claim. The leader of the iron archons. and thus of! rdoc Morda, is called the Twice­ Forged General. A crescent blade battle champion (page 130 and Dunseon Master's Guide, page 176) cur­ rently holds the position. Otherwise, archons in Irdoc Morda behave as they usually do elsewhere. They accept their ranks and positions based on their capabilities, carry out their duties, and pass along their orders.

A small population of slaves also dwells in Irdoc Morda. Primarily azers, eisk jaats (page 136), galeb duhrs, and genasi captured during the archons' mili­ tary endeavors, they help to maintain the fortress. Few of them survive long; because the archons under­ stand little of other creatures' needs, many of the slaves starve or otherwise die of neglect.

MAJOR AREAS The passages ofIrdoc Morda wind through the stone of the mountains and spiral up and down the towers' interiors. In a variety of chambers, archons practice their techniques ofwar, study layouts of nearby ele­ mental communities, meet with outsiders, and offer service to fallen primordials. Hidden and guarded chambers hold treasure that the archons have received as payment or taken from defeated foes. The Hollow: In the Hollow, a great cavern once rich iIi iron, the archons are building the largest spell­ jammer ever conceived. If they manage to complete it-a process requiring many years-they will own an iron-hulled, nearly unstoppable fortress from which to launch battles for their own or others' aims. The Vein: Legend tells of a deposit of ironlike metal, unknown to sages, that yet remains below Irdoc Morda. If the legend is true , the Vein might hold a power that affects archons and other crea­ tures-even making archons behave unusually. Watchtowers: Magic-wielders infused three of Irdoc Morda's towers with scrying and divination magic. Each of these watchtowers-one looming above, one hanging below, and one protruding from the side of the great mountains-contains a lens that allows an observer to see for miles, even through deep cloud cover. The lenses' creators also tuned them to three locations that even untrained observers can scry on. Rumors vary as to the identity of those locations. Are they other archon bastions, the resting sites of primordials, or regions of other worlds?

ADVENTURES The characters might confront the archons ofIrdoc Morda as soldiers in a larger struggle, never navigat­ ing the fortress , or they might infiltrate the alien tunnels and passages that defy the rules of architec­ ture. If they are troubled by something worse than archons, they might even consider taking shelter in Irdoc Morda, in which case they must consider what to offer the proprietors in exchange.

ENVIRONMENTAL fEATURES Worked rock and iron define the terrain ofIrdoc Morda's passageways and chambers. Peaks and barren lowlands punctuate the surface landscape. Iron Walls: The walls of the towers and of some interior chambers are iron. Use the hard DC for the encounter level when determining the difficulty of

climbing or clinging to them (Dun8eon Master's Guide, page 42). Loadstone: Patches of loadstone (Dun8eon Master's Guide, page 68) lace the corridors. Magnetic Slope: Some tower passageways slope sharply and have bits of magnetic ore smelted into the iron. For a creature moving upward , such a slope is difficult terrain. A creature that is pushed, pulled, or slid downward on such a slope moves 1 square farther than normal. Metallic creatures and individu­ als wearing heavy metal armor are immune to these effects because of the magnetic pull. Rust Patches: Some spots ofIrdoc Morda's iron develop the same poisonous rust that covers injured iron archons. Any bloodied creature that starts its turn in a square of this rust takes 5 poison damage. Scrying Walls: Enchanted iron walls allow crea­ tures on one side to see the room or passage on the other side. A creature that uses a standard action to concentrate on such a wall can see the opposite area superimposed over the creature's reflection. Such walls are unmarked , so only those who know which walls are which and creatures capable of detecting magic can make use of them.

ENCOUNTER GROUPS

Irdoc Morda is a fortification, so the place crawls with

warriors. Related problems also threaten intruders,

including trained elemental beasts, slaves, and traps.

Level 14 Encounter (XP 5,800)

.. 1 earth archon ground rager (level 14 controller,

Monster Manual 2 14) .. 1 gates of winter hazard (level 16 lurker, page 19) .. 1 ice archon hailscourge (level 16 artillery, MM20) .. 2 iron archon interceptors (level 14 soldier, page 130) Level 17 Encounter (XP 8,800) .. 1 earth archon rumbler (level 17 brute, Monster Manual 2 14) .. 1 field of everfrost* hazard (level 18 blaster, DMG 92) .. 1 ice archon rimehammer (level 19 soldier. MM20) .. 2 iron archon crescent blades (level 16 skirmisher, page 130) *As a field of everflame, but dealing cold damage. Level 21 Encounter (XP 16,700)

.. 1 earthwind ravager (level 23 controller, MM 104)

.. 1 greater helmed horror (level 18 elite soldier,

MM 155) .. 1 ice archon frostshaper (level 20 controller, MM21) .. 2 ice archon rimehammers (level 19 soldier. MM20) CHAPTER 3

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THE MOTESWARM A jumble ofsmall masses of every substance, the Moteswarm gives birth to strange effects and stranger elementals. Giants and githzerai are the only crea­ tures other than elementals scratching an existence from the turbulence. When a band ofgithzerai arrived in the Mote­ swarm recently, they discovered a lost archon forge among the floating motes. They shaped plans to take control ofthe forge and tame the Moteswarm. Before they could act, giants learned of their plans and attacked the githzerai. Elementals native to the place considered both races to be invaders and reacted accordingly. Since that day, the three factions have struggled for control. When one faction gains the upper hand, the other two-and the chaos of the Moteswarm­ bring it down.

INHABITANTS AND CULTURE Elementals, giants, and githzerai dwell in different parts of the Moteswarm. They interact with each other primarily as adversaries. Elementals: The Moteswarm's maelstrom attracts elementals from other places and churns new ones into existence. The elementals are territorial beasts, attacking other creatures on sight; unusually intel­ ligent elementals organize groups to coordinate attacks. Giants and githzerai also force or trick ele­ mentals into service. Giants: When a storm titan named Kazzamir learned of the archon forge in the Moteswarm, he hatched plans to use its power to create his own kingdom . He gathered a hundred displaced giants to take up residence on a variety of motes that had been rejected by the githzerai. The giants' onslaught against the githzerai began. The battles have continued ever since. When some giants fall, the lure of power and conquest draws others to replace them. Githzerai: Most sane creatures would rather see the archon forge in the hands of the githzerai than held by the giants. The githzerai of the Moteswarm, though, are so intent on defeating the giants that they don't stop to think about what they would do with the forge. They simply accept that they must fight. Unlike other githzerai, those of the Moteswarm sometimes alternate their coolness toward strang­ ers with welcome, depending on the state of the war. They need all the help they can get. The few hundred githzerai in this place live in one major monastery and in a few outposts, all under the leadership of the mindmage Glissa. Githzerai from elsewhere come to lend support and to keep their numbers up. CHAPTER 3 I Elemental Locales

MAJOR AREAS Tides of the Elemental Chaos hold together the diverse pieces of the Moteswarm. Three locations important to the current inhabitants are described below. Archon Forge: Built on a small mote of gold­ flecked marble , the archon forge resembles a keep carved from the stone. It produces air archons (Manual ofthe Planes, page 114). An individual who has access to the proper rituals could take possession ofthe forge and control the archons. The forge evades retention, capture, and even dis­ covery. The Moteswarm is at its most chaotic in this area, which means it's a naVigational challenge even to alight upon the forge's mote. Whirling firemotes and icemotes, clouds of searing mist, spikes oflight­ ning, and shifting gales bar entry. The githzerai that first reached the forge encoun­ tered ancient air archon guardians still defending it.

PAGE FROM A BATTERED JOURNAL I sit now in a small oasis of calm in this insa ne dimension. After phasing into the Elemental Chaos, my ship ended up here. which must surely have given the plane its name. As soon as we appeared, the ship rocked beneath us and lightning flashed all around, accompanied by reverberating thunder. I rushed to the deck and looked about-just in time to see two great chunks of smolder­ ing rock smash into each other. The superheated rubble burned down around us, slicing easily through the ship's hull. I shouted for Igram, but just then the wind rose in a shriek. My stomach dropped out as the wind flung our ship upward, and I knew we were doomed. Everywhere I looked, there were bits of ... stuff float­ ing around. The scholars call them "motes": fragments of water, earth. and fire, and of stranger things. such as sheets of lightning, sprays of acid, and chunks of frost. As our ship sped upward, I saw hundreds of them, perhaps thousands, all around us. Some were the size of my fist , while others must have been a mile across_ And they were not floating serenely, as I had naively imagined; they heaved through the void. slamming into each other, breaking into pieces, and scouring each other's surfaces. Our ship would be ground to pieces by the hurtling elements. To my shame, my cowardice asserted itself. I jumped over the side. It was certain death-but far less horrible than staying on that ship as it fell upward into the maw of chaos. As Ifell, I watched it break apart, but mercifully the howling wind drowned out the screams of my friends. That's when a miracle occurred. I found myself arrested in my fall . I did not strike any surface-I was simply not fall ing anymore. I looked about, and to my astonishment saw one small ship with a handful of yellow-skinned humanoids skimming toward me.

They also found bits of bone littering the courtyard and huge claw marks marring the walls. Corehold: The major githzerai monastery of the Moteswarm, Corehold perches atop a large island of crystal. Though the githzerai built the structure in haste, its materials-brittle crystal, gold, silver, and iron-lend it great beauty. Outsiders who win their way into the githzerai's good graces can find shelter and food here. Glissa hopes to establish Core hold as a meditation center. For now, though, the monastery is anything but serene. Glissa focuses her efforts on securing the forge. The githzerai must continually rebuild walls destroyed by acid rains, impacts from flying rocks, and attacks by elementals and giants. Zahazrian: Kazzamir's center of power is an islet ofsolid lightning called Zahazrian. The storm titan's will keeps the mote manifest enough to support habi­ tation. Only storm giants and a few lightning-related elementals spend time on its crackling surface. Kazzamir lives in a shack, formed by arcs of light­ ning, that he calls his castle. Seated on his chair, the only piece of furniture in the structure, he broods and plans. Sometimes he ventures forth to cleave enemies with his greatsword or to undertake a mis­ sion that he believes only he can accomplish. When he returns, he always finds-to his frustration-that he must recreate Zahazrian.

Choke Frost (Dunaeon Master's Guide, page 67): A few areas are cold enough to support this heatstealing ice. Fonts of Power (Dunaeon Master's Guide, page 68): These features, keyed to every elemental keyword , exist throughout the Moteswarm. Lightningstone Fields (page 22): These dangerous areas abound in the Moteswarm. Pools (DunaeonMaster's Guide, page 65): Water and other liquids (such as liquid thunder) collect in pools. Whirlwinds (Dunaeon Master's Guide, page 69): Whirlwinds arise frequently in the Moteswarm's wild turbulence_

A DVENTURES

Level 15 Encounter (XP 6,000)

.. 4 githzerai cenobites (level 11 soldier, MM 130)

.. 1 githzerai mindmage (level 14 artillery, MM 131)

.. 1 githzerai zerth (level 13 elite controller,

MM 130) .. 1 steel rain hazard (level 15 blaster, page 19)

The Moteswarm is a microcosm of the Elemental Chaos, encapsulating its essence. It can showcase the Plane Below to an adventuring party that is new to the plane. Characters who pass through it should emerge with a sense of the danger of the Elemental Chaos. Those who spend time here can also become aware of the factions at work. The characters might travel to the Moteswarm to aid the githzerai, to hunt Kazzamir's giants, or to find the archon forge for an outside power. They might stumble upon the Moteswarm by chance or seek in it a prize unknown to the giants or githzerai.

ENVIRONMENTAL FEATURES The Moteswarm contains every environmental fea­ ture presented in chapter 1 of this book or in Manual ofthe Planes. Creatures living here can predict the behavior of many such phenomena, including light­ ningstone fields, luminous nodes, multielemental transformation fields, skystone fields , and steel rain. This ability works to their advantage in combat against outsiders who are unfamiliar with such effects. The following types of terrain are also common in the Moteswarm.

ENCOUNTER GROUPS

Elementals, giants, githzerai, and natural hazards of

the Elemental Chaos beset adventurers here. Char­

acters might also encounter other travelers, such as

other adventuring parties or efreet scouts, but most

intelligent creatures avoid the Moteswarm.

Level 11 Encounter (XP 3,000)

.. 1 ash frost assassin (level 12 skirmisher, page 138)

.. 1 firelashers (level 11 skirmisher, MM 104)

.. 1 luminous node hazard (level 11 blaster, page 18)

.. 1 rockfist smasher (lcvell0 brute, Monster

Manual 2 100)

Level 21 Encounter (XP 17,600) .. llightningstone field hazard (level 11 warder, page 12) .. 1 fire archon ash disciples (level 10 artillery, MM 19) .. 1 fire titan (level 11 elite soldier, iHM 124) .. 1 skystone field hazard (level 19 lurker, page 22) Level 27 Encounter (XP 53,000) .. 1 multielemental transformation field hazard (level 18 lurker, page 13) .. Kazzamir, storm titan (level 17 elite controller, MM 125) .. 1 storm gorgons (level 16 skirmisher, MM 143)

CHAPTER 3

I

Elemental Locales

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PANDEMON1UM STONE When the Pandemonium Stone exists, it appears only in the Elemental Chaos unless it is induced to materialize elsewhere by powerful wizards or sorcer­ ers. A spire more than 100 feet in diameter and more than 500 feet tall, it consists of bone, flesh, ice, miner­ als, wind, wood , and other materials, always in flux. Rough carvings on it flare with roaring fire, crack­ ling lightning, deafening thunder, and unbearable cold-and then die down. Blazing white runes in an unknown script sometimes march across the surface. The Pandemonium Stone manifests randomly; even efreets using al-buraj (page 54) cannot predict its appearances. It bursts into existence like a volcanic eruption in a spray offire, cold, lightning, or other energy, sending ripples in all directions through the Elemental Chaos. Neither the gods nor the primordials claim to have created the Pandemonium Stone. They knew of it even before the Dawn War.

INHAB ITANTS AND CULTURE When the Pandemonium Stone disappears, it drags nearby objects and creatures with it. Creatures that fail to distance themselves from the stone have disap­ peared with it. Some such creatures elect to stay with it even after it reappears. Residents have formed two groups and built two permanent shelters, one near the base of the spire and one near the apex. Staff of The Trackless House: A permanent holding near the base of the Pandemonium Stone is the Trackless House, an extraplanar sanctuary con­ nected to other locations. The powerful beings that run it treat one another as family. They include a male earthsoul/watersoul genasi warrior named Altayar, a female phoelarch arcanist named Tarsa, and a male djinn called Farzan. Altayar tells visitors that Farzan established the inn, although rumor suggests that he cannot leave. Other staff members treat Farzan as a clan elder. He rarely interacts with visitors. As neutral ground, the Trackless House serves as a safe house for delicate information, dangerous items, and individuals seeking low profiles. It also hosts an elemental cabal that serves djinn interests, including those ofSirrajadt (page 150) and his warriors. The staff quells strife among guests. Watchers of Tomorrow: The other permanent shelter on the Pandemonium Stone, near the apex, is inhabited by the Watchers ofTomorrow. Mostly maruts, the group also includes angels sworn to no deities and a devil called the Breaker, who fled its kin's contract with Asmodeus. The Watchers ofTomorrow believe that the Pandemonium Stone is the cocoon of an entity devel­ oping toward maturity as the cosmos grows more CHAPTER 3

I

Elemental Locales

complex-perhaps a god of gods. When this being hatches, the Watchers will either swear their alle ­ giance to it or, if it threatens them, try to destroy it. In the meantime, they defend the Pandemonium Stone if the need arises. Sometimes they seek com­ pany at the Trackless House, but the two groups do not work together or know each other's secrets. The Watchers also observe the activities of slaads that are drawn to the stone whenever it appears. Slaads and Other Factions: Other creatures respond to some call of the spire, including demons, djinns, elementals, slaads, and titans-all with con­ flicting goals. Even the slaad lords attend ; only Ygorl, Lord of Entropy (page 157), holds back. After a few days of war, a slaad elder arrives , forc­ ing any emerging victors to accelerate or cut short their plans. No creature powerful enough to stand against the elder has ever jOined the fray. The elder spares only the spire's permanent residents. Once the slaads chase away contenders, they begin to croak out a disharmonic racket. The Watch­ ers ofTomorrow believe that this "song" aids in the gestation of the god growing inside the spire. Other thinkers suggest that the spire is itself an immense slaad kept asleep by the cacophonous lullaby.

MAJOR AREAS The surface of the Pandemonium Stone constantly changes. The only two areas approaching per­ manence on it are the abode of the Watchers of Tomorrow and the Trackless House. Abode of the Watchers ofTomorrow: Near the apex of the spire, wreathed by inconstant energy, the Watchers ofTomorrow look out over the Elemental Chaos from a balcony of obsidian. Inside, several large communal chambers and smaller private cham­ bers make up their home. The Trackless House: Like the Pandemonium Stone, the Trackless House evades easy location and winks out of existence for spans of time. It has adamantine double doors with its name inscribed on each ofthe panels in Barazhad and Davek script. A foyer leads to a common room where visitors and residents receive food and drink. Private rooms and a magic kitchen adjOin the common area. Behind the bar is series of private chambers accessible only to the proprietors and select patrons. In the common room and private rooms, visitors can safely watch slaads gather. Once the slaads begin to sing, the staff warns that the spire will soon shift. Anyone who remains at the inn catapults to the Pan­ demonium Stone's next location and time. Visitors searching for objects or individuals hidden within the Trackless House usually fail to find them. Farzan maintains portals to other locales and enlists powerful defenders to stymie access to them. He has also learned to summon slaads to defend the inn.

ADVENTURES Wherever characters roam in the Elemental Chaos, the Pandemonium Stone can come to them. Because it can appear anywhere in the multiverse, it can also introduce adventurers to other planes. The characters might encounter the singing slaads, visit the Trackless House, or meet the \Vatchers ofTomorrow. Someone might require the party's escort to the Trackless House, or the characters might need to retrieve something from the inn or hide there from an enemy. The Watchers ofTomorrow offer adventures based on their experience with the spire and with slaads. Adventurers might earn their trust by doing an appropriate service-and thus learn their philosophy.

ENVIRONMENTAL FEATURES Every sort of terrain and environmental hazard in the Elemental Chaos and in the Abyss might occur on the slopes of the Pandemonium Stone. Two special fea ­ tures trigger upon specific events. Reentry Squall: When the Pandemonium Stone . appears, an intense elemental disturbance ripples out 600 feet in all directions. Each creature caught in the blast must succeed on a DC 23 Acrobatics or Athletics check, or that creature slides 2d20 squares, falls prone, and takes ongoing 5 psychic damage (save ends). Creatures on the surface and adjacent to or within the spire feel no effect from a reentry squall. Slopes: The surfaces of the Pandemonium Stone continually change shape and substance. In some places they slope gradually, qualifying as difficult ter­ rain. Elsewhere, the slopes are so steep that creatures must make Athletics checks of varying difficulty to climb them, up to a DC of27.

ENCOUNTER GROUPS Slaads swarm around the Pandemonium Stone, but groups of other creatures also arrive to investigate it. Level 8 Encounter (XP 1,950) + 1 death shard (level 8 artillery, Monster Manual 2 34) + 3 flux slaads (level 9 skirmisher, Monster Manual 2 184) + 2 slaad tadpoles (levelS lurker, MM 237) Level 17 Encounter (XP 9,400) + 2 blue slaads (level 17 brute, MM 238) + 1 gray slaad havoc (level 15 artillery, page 143) + 1 green slaad (level 18 controller, MM 238) + 1 white slaad (level 16 elite lurker, page 145) Level 21 Encounter (XP 17,750) + 2 black slaads (level 20 skirmisher, MM 239) + 2 green slaad spawners (level 18 elite controller, MM 238 and Monster Manual 2 185) + 1 void crust hazard (level 22 obstacle, page 22)

Immense pillars are scattered throughout the Elemental Chaos. Some of these so· called Pillars of Creation stand straight; some lean. All extend out of sight in both directions, through thick clouds and empty sky, through crashing oceans and solid rock. Each is unique. Scholars know of the existence of more than half a dozen pillars; only the gods and the primordials know them all. According to legend, these columns support the world. Each pillar rests upon the floor of the Elemen­ tal Chaos, from which all substances spring, as well as e1ementals, primordials, and more ancient forms oflife. Each pillar reaches into the natural realm , infusing the place of intersection with the essence of its dominant material. Yet the Elemental Chaos is also thought to be infi­ nite, with no floor and no ceiling. Reconciliation of that idea with the concept of the columns as supports lies in the realm of theologians and philosophers. Suf­ fice it to say that the Pillars of Creation have existed since before the world's genesis, and that all efforts to reach the end of any pillar have failed . Every elemental substance, as well as combina­ tions thereof, might have a corresponding pillar. Planar explorers and powerful denizens of the Ele­ mental Chaos know the following Pillars of Creation best: the Obelisk ofIce, the Raging Storm, and the Torrent of Magma. The Obelisk ofIce: Formed of many-hued ice, the ramrod-straight Obelisk of Ice averages a few hun­ dred yards in diameter. It shows signs of intelligent influence: runes a few feet in height that resemble the Barazhad script. The Raging Storm: Spongy, semisolid clouds encase the Raging Storm, a funnel of howling winds, pelting rain, and lightning. This pillar leans a few degrees from vertical and ranges in diameter from a few hundred yards to a couple of miles. See below for more information. The Torrent of Magma: An undulating mass two to five miles wide, the Torrent of Magma flows as if under the influence of gravity. Fissures erupt from its center; pyroclastic islands whirl on its surface. Some of the islands can support the weight of explorers. Others break apart under the slightest pressure. Other Known Pillars: Explorers have spotted other pillars, including a jagged tree of crystalline minerals, a beam of pure radiance, and a column of muck. Further piUars, if they exist, await discovery.

THE RAGING STORM Due to their variety, their mystic nature, and their embodiment of the deepest essence of the Elemen­ tal Chaos, the Pillars of Creation are far from fully C HAPTER 3

I

Elemental Locales

documented. The text beIow details what is known about one of the better-known pillars: the Raging Storm. You must delve into your own Elemental Chaos to create your vision of the other Pillars of Creation.

INHABITANTS AND CULTURE Few creatures linger in the proximity of the Raging Storm. Nevertheless, clusters of inhabitants have arisen there. The largest, at the heart of the storm, is Tharag Thryr. Once a community ofstorm titans and giants, Tharag Thryr grew into a center of worship of two primordials: Mual-Tar the Thunder Serpent and Sol­ kara the Crushing Wave. Elementals, a few djinns, genasi cultists ofSolkara, and air, water, and storm archons have so far established populations there.

MAJOR A REAS The semisolid contours of the Raging Storm form caves, passages, and even a few eyes of the storm: clearings free of wind and rain. Chunks of earth swirl at the clouds' perimeter, swept by gusts. The Cloudfield: A certain area of clouds attracts bestial creatures ofstorm: rime fire griffons, storm gorgons, and the like. The same area produces storm­ related elementals such as thunderblast cyclones, tempest wisps, wind fiend furies, and dust demons (page 132). These e1ementals rove with the other pred­ ators in search of prey, rather than attacking them. Storm heart: A region of cloud-walled canyons and valleys, Stormheart exists Simultaneously in the heart of all storms everywhere. Rains oflightning sweep across it, on rare occasions teleporting each struck creature into the midst of a lightning storm elsewhere in the Plane Below or in another world.

ADVENTURES Characters might visit the Raging Storm to tap its lightning, thunder, or water magic. They might hunt cultists dedicated to primordia Is, search for a spelijam­ mer or an airship that vanished in the vicinity, or seek a better understanding of the Elemental Chaos and of the Raging Storm's link to the natural realm.

ENVIRONMENTAL FEATURES Clouds: Ordinary clouds float in air currents and passageways. A cloud 's space might be lightly or heav· i1y obscured, depending on the cloud 's density. Such clouds mix indistinguishably with areas of semisolid and solid c1oudstuff, forming hidden pit traps. Clouds, Heavy: Hints of cloudstuff can infuse normal clouds to create heavy clouds. Their thick substance impedes movement: Whenever a creature enters a square of heavy cloud, it takes a cumulative -1 penalty to speed. The creature can remove this penalty as a move action. Air and water creatures are immune to the effect of heavy clouds.

Cloudstuff: Solid and semisolid surfaces in the Raging Storm- including the ceilings, Ooors, and walls ofchambers and tunnels-consist of a substance known as cloudstuf( CloudstufJ, Semisolid: Semisolid cloudstuff com­ prises most of the landscape. Any creature that starts its turn in a square of semisolid cloudstuff takes a -1 penalty to speed on that turn. Creatures that lack a burrow speed can burrow through cloudstuff at a speed of2 or one-half their normal speed, whichever is lower. The spongy material offers easy hand holds and footholds; any Athletics check to climb a vertical surface ofsemisolid cloudstuff gains a +2 bonus. Cloudstuff, Solid: Solid cloudstuff is as strong as stone. It looks identical to semisolid cloudstuf( Extreme Weather: Weather in some regions reaches supernatural ferocity. Primordial storms, pri­ mordial winds, and primordial cold frequently occur. Heavy Air: Water or other vapors can supersatu­ rate air, making it preternaturally thick. Any living creature in an area of heavy air must hold its breath or suffocate as if underwater. Lightning Mist: Lightning in some clouds con ­ denses into a charged fog, forming lightning mist (page 16). Lightning Seepage: This crackling form of elemental seepage (Manual ofthe Planes, page 22) can occur anywhere. Rain: Areas of light rain are lightly obscured. Places where the rain pours in sheets might be heav­ ily obscured instead. Rain extinguishes unprotected natural Oames. Wind: The Raging Storm swirls with severe winds. Any creature that enters a square ofstrong wind slides 1 to 3 squares (or more, for extremely high winds) in the wind's direction. Otherwise, these winds behave like whirlwinds (DunBeon Master's Guide, page 69). In a few locations, these blasts grow severe enough to become strangling wind (page 17).

ENCOUNTER GROUPS Storm-related monsters abound on this pillar. Aquatic creatures dwell in rive;:s and in cataracts fed by the rains (which can fall in any direction). Other kinds of creatures might survive in calm areas or, with magi­ cal aid, in caves of cloudstuf( Level 20 Encounter (XP 14,000) .. 1 elder tempest dragon (level 18 solo soldier, Draconomicon: Chromatic DraBons 193) .. 2 primal storms (level 20 artillery, Draconomicon: Chromatic DraBons 228) Levell7 Encounter (XP 63,000)

.. 1 primordial blot (level 26 solo artillery, page 140)

.. 2 thunderblast cyclones (level 26 elite artillery,

MM 105)

.-.-._.-.-.-.--.--.-.-._-.-.-.­

THE R1VERWEB The Elemental Chaos contains bodies of water and other liqUids, forming oceans, rivers, and falls that plunge for miles into emptiness. A number of rivers support trade and travel. Boats and planar dromonds supply waterside communities for lower fees than those charged by captains of flying vessels. Several thousand miles from the City of Brass, more than a dozen major rivers and a hundred streams converge in a network called the Riverweb. This nexus of forks, convergences, and other watery features stretches hundreds of miles. vVhiripools mark some junctions; ponds, lakes, and even seas form at others. Squalls erupt frequently. A few seas and rivers have banks of stone or crystal, but most flow suspended in space on different horizontal planes. Islands, mostly of stone but also of other sub­ stances, emerge from the waters. All long-distance aquatic travel through mapped regions of the Elemental Chaos passes through the Riverweb sooner or later.

IN HABITANTS AND CULTURE Communities exist throughout the Riverweb: on land, on water, and underwater. Below are descriptions of the busiest, most notorious, and deepest, respectively. Rheilvaltans: The city of Rheilvalt (see below) throngs with several thousand inhabitants, primar­ ily humans and genasi but also members of other humanoid races. A ruling mercantile council main­ tains the community's status as the center of trade for all oceanic commerce in the region. The council offers a reward to anyone who shatters the River Spi­ ders' organization (see below); however, the council also pays tribute to the pirates, lest trade suffer. River Spiders: Numerous pirates ply the rivers and byways of the Riverweb. The term "River Spi­ ders" applies to all of them but most accurately refers to a flotilla of seven vessels armed and enchanted against the magic and extreme weather of the plane. A favorite River Spider tactic is to come up alongSide a vessclnear the edge of a river or lake and threaten to ram it over the side unless its crew submits. The pirates' leader, a watersoul genasi barbar­ ian named Thalku!, rules the band from the largest vessel, the Drowned Widow-a spelyamrner, according to rumor. The River Spiders have several hideaways throughout the Riverweb and in other lakes and oceans of the Elemental Chaos. Their center of opera­ tion is a hidden village called Widow port. Underfolk: In the deepest parts of the deepest bodies of River web water dwell beings known to air­ breathers as Underfolk. When Underfolk interact with surface-dwellers, they do so through interme­ diaries-usually water elementals but sometimes C HAPTER 3

I

Elemental Locales

watersoul genasi or sahuagin. Sometimes they demand bribes for safe passage, sometimes they trade rare undersea treasures for magic items, and some­ times they attack without provocation. Theories about the origin of the Underfolk abound . Some say they are elementals that have developed abnormal intelligence. Others claim they are storm giant cultists of Solkara, aquatic fey stranded in the plane, or elemental water spirits called marids.

MAJOR AREAS Given its expanse and variation, the Riverweb can host any kind of aquatic adventure. The follOWing areas draw the most attention. Castle Torrent: Castle Torrent literally rises from the rapids of a large river. Currents harden into the forms of an outer wall, half a dozen towers, and con­ necting structures, holding shapes as constant and impermeable as stone in the course of the flow. Dark shapes sometimes move behind the walls. Though observers cannot see deeper into the castle, investigations suggest that water fills it entirely. Decktown: In an area called the River's Fangs, where dozens of ships have wrecked , a small commu­ nity called Decktown has developed among the rocks and shattered hulls. Parts of the town float , anchored to the rocks. Bridges, decks, and other structures narrow the channel but also line safe routes for pass­ ing vessels. Crews rest and conduct minor trad e here. The Landing: Near where a wide river feeds into a lake lies a low, stone island called the Landing. Floating rocks connect it to two other islands in adja­ cent streams. Regional trade vessels disembark at the Landing. Adventurers traveling to other places in the Riverweb might find transport here. Rheilvalt: The largest surface community of the Riverweb, Rheilvalt rests on a series of islands linked by arched bridges. One island, in a passing river that never meets the lake, connects to the city center by a bridge that soars over empty space.

ADVENTURES With its concentration of diverse communities and factions, the Riverweb offers the best opportunity for water-based adventures in the Elemental Chaos. Adventurers might travel through the region toward other destinations or investigate the mysteries of Castle Torrent or the Underfolk. Characters might deliver goods to Decktown or Rheilvalt, rout a sect of Solkara, or fight (or jOin) the River Spiders.

ENVIRONMENTAL FEATURES Currents: Rivers and streams, and even some lakes and seas, have Significant currents (Dun8eon Master's Guide, page 45). Edges: Some rivers and streams flow independent of banks, and some have no beds. A creature or vessel

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that falls over the edge, or a dense object that sinks through, plummets until it strikes something solid. Mist: Mist covers much of the Riverweb. Misty squares are lightly obscured. Riverbanks: 'Vhere they exist, riverbanks can slide and sink unpredictably. Their shifting surfaces are difficult terrain. Steam: Parts of the Riverweb give off steam when they flow near fire or magma. Squares of steam are lightly obscured . Any creature that starts its turn in a steam square takes Id6 fire damage per tier. Water: Much of the Riverweb's water is clear and harmless, but it can hide dangers. Water, Boilin8:Any creature that starts its turn in bOiling water takes IdS fire damage per tier. Water, Freezin8:Any creature that starts its turn in freeZing water takes Id6 cold damage per tier, and the Endurance check DC to avoid losing healing surges from suffocation increases by 2. Water, Solid: Some water in the Riverweb forms solid objects even at temperatures above freeZing. Such water is not ice but has the consistency of stone. Waterfalls: Riverweb waterfalls can fall scores of feet or more. A current near a waterfall slides crea­ tures 2 to 5 squares farther than a normal current. Whirlpools: Whirlpools are aquatic versions of whirlwinds (Dun8eon Master's Guide, page 69).

ENCOUNTER GROUPS The Riverweb seethes with pirates and water-based elementals. Islands and open sky present the possibil­ ity of encounters with other kinds of monsters as well. Level 10 Encounter (XP 2,900) + 2 Crushing Wave hierophants (level 10 artillery, page 154) + 3 genasi stoneshields (level 10 soldier, Monster Manual 2 117) + 1 jet ofsteam* hazard (level 9 blaster) *Treat as an elemental eruption (page 20) that has only the fire effect. Level 15 Encounter (XP 6,800) + 1 storm archon squallshield (level 17 soldier, Mon­ ster Manual 2 16) + 3 water archon shoal reavcrs (level 13 brute, Mon­ ster Manual 2 IS) + 2 water archon waveshapers (level 16 controller, Monster Mal1ual2 IS) Level 25 Encounter (XP 42,350) + 1 elder sea worm* (level 24 solo soldier, MM 214) + 2 storm giants** (level 24 controller, MM 124) *Treat as an elder purple worm, but add the aquatic keyword, decrease base speed and burrow speed to 2, and add a swim speed of S. **The giants are mounted on the sea worm. CHAPTER 3

I

Elemental Locales

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.--0·--'--.---- . . _ . _ . __

SANZERATHAD

Successful githzerai monasteries are beacons of order and stability in the Elemental Chaos. In such centers of meditation and contemplation, githzerai peacefully learn to control internal and external chaos. Sanzerathad is not one of those monasteries. The ascetics who founded Sanzerathad selected the worst oflocations: an earthmote at the exact confluence of multiple chaos currents. Perhaps they sought a challenge, or they failed to notice the dangers of that spot; maybe some other imperative motivated them. Not even the utmost of martial and mental skill can completely hold off the ultraviolent forces that constantly assault the monastery. Every day, the tides of chaos crash more viciously against Sanzerathad's walls; every day, the githzerai lose ground. No outsider knows why the Sanzerathad githzerai continue to fight. Only in the strictest confidence do

M1ND OVER MATTER Most creatures believe that the Elemental Chaos Is the

~ource of everything out of which reality is made. Time,

the soul, and certain aspects of life might have been shaped by the gods above, but all else emerged from the Plane Below. What, then, of thought itself? Ideas and dreams, urges and emotions-all of these existed in the primordials and the earliest efreets. Uncountable numbers of intelligent elemental creatures lived before the first mortals walked the world-indeed, before the world took form. Is thought another element that churns beneath the skin of reality? The notion rarely occurs to most people. When it does, it is treated as nothing more than an interesting philosophical conundrum. To the githzerai, though, thought is a very real quantity. They would no sooner omit it from the list of elements than they would fire or water. This belief forms the core of the practices of many of their monasteries, including Sanzerathad. The githzerai are not guarding against just chaos but against madness. Perhaps this idea is the truth, or it might be a delu­ sion to which the githzerai cling. If true, the concept has interesting ramifications. Did the Plane of Dreams develop from the Elemental Chaos, just as the world did? Could corrupt thoughts and maddened dreams be the seed around which the Far Realm grew? Travelers might come across literal pools of thought and gain knowledge, dreams, or delusions from exposure. Thought elementals could roam the plane, and structures might exist that are formed of pure idea. Perhaps what lies in the Room with No Doors is a thought so terrible that its release would eventually corrupt all existence.

CHAPTER 3

I

Elemental Locales

they speak of a room with no doors, and never do they divulge what the room might contain. The size of a large town, Sanzerathad squats behind stone walls on a landmass a few dozen miles across. The buildings were raised by sheer mental effort and then reshaped and adorned by physical craftsmanship. Now they hunker against the chaos in the pleasant geometric patterns typical ofgithzerai architecture.

INHABITANTS AND CUl.TURE Because they devote their efforts to holding the rOiling chaos at bay, Sanzerathad githzerai barely function as a SOCiety. Insofar as they acknowledge tra­ dition, they follow standard githzerai customs. A few maintain gardens and food stores. All others fall into two groups: the Blades of Discipline and the Hands of Order. The Marshal of the Blades of the Discipline and the Custodian of the Hands of Order share authority over Sanzerathad. When they disagree, the monastery's oldest and most revered instructor, the male bard Master Arzendreth, makes the decision. Blades of Discipline: Employing magic, mar­ tial arts. mental acuity, and weapons, the Blades of DiScipline protect Sanzerathad's physical grounds. Under the leadership of Marshal Issithertha, a female swordmage, the Blades stand at the gates ofSanzer­ at had to battle demons. elementals, slaads. and worse. They patrol the streets to slay creatures that randomly manifest from the chaos. They live in violence and die early. Hands of Order: A githzerai needs only to have a strong will to join the Hands of Order. The Hands spend hours in intense concentration, working in shifts to mentally hold Sanzerathad together. Custo­ dian Zitholt, a male mind mage, leads the group.

MAJOR AREAS Sanzerathad has the typical sleeping cells. dining halls, and dojos of a githzerai monastery. It also has the follOWing unique areas. Chapel: The chapel chamber near the center of the monastery can house scores of meditators. Its architecture directs one's gaze from wall to wall and then upward, and an interplay of lines and angles in the ceiling focuses meditation. Otherwise, no adorn­ ments distinguish the chamber from other rooms. At least a dozen Hands of Order meditate here at any given time. Orchard: A combination garden and pasture, the orchard grows near the chapel. Six githzerai, includ­ ing at least two Hands of Order, tend crops and some livestock.

Outer Wall: Made of stone several feet thick and inscribed with runes and icons symbolizing order and strength of mind, Sanzerathad's outer wall stands against the physical dangers of chaos. Two steel gates engraved with runes break the wall's continuity. The Blades of Discipline walk the wall and stand sentry at the gates at all times. The Room with No Doors: Somewhere deep within Sanzerathad hides its most important cham­ ber. The thickness of the room's walls rivals that of the monastery's outer wall. No doors allow entrance. Only sheer force ofwill (which must defeat the combined efforts of the Hands of Order) can open a passage through the rock. None but the githzerai know what the room con­ tains. Does it house a holy object? A repository of lore? The heart of a slumbering primordial? A relic of the mind flayers from whom the githzerai escaped long ago? A portal to the heart ofZerthadlun, through which chaos would flow ifleft unchecked? Interested parties can only speculate-or wait until chaos finally overwhelms Sanzerathad.

ADVENTURES Adventurers could end up in Sanzerathad as cast­ aways from a chaos storm or after an attack. They might be following rumors about the Room with No Doors, coveting whatever legendary wonders they believe to be housed within. They could try to convince the githzerai to accept their help, whether of their own accord or in response to a plea from a githzerai monk acting without consent of superiors. The characters might arrive on behalf of another community plagued by chaos, in hopes that the githz­ erai ofSanzerathad might offer advice on how to ward it off.

ENVIRONMENTAL FEATURES Inside Sanzerathad's walls are ordinary stone streets (with the exception of random surprises born of the swirling chaos currents). The terrain outside the walls is a different story. Changing Terrain: Outside Sanzerathad proper, tides of chaos wash over the terrain without pattern, transforming the land from one moment to the next. Any sort of terrain or environmental hazard can manifest there. Chaos Outbreaks: Inside Sanzerathad's walls, outbreaks of chaos sometimes occur. A normal hall­ way might become a passage of swamp muck. A stone wall might turn to ice. Doors and hallways could sud­ denly lead to new locations in the monastery. (You can either map out the monastery in several sections and shuffle them or simply treat a door as a portal to elsewhere in Sanzerathad.)

Chaos Storms: Chaos storms (Manual ofthe Planes, page 67) frequent the grounds, constantly altering the terrain there.

o

ENCOUNTER GROUPS

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F EATURES OF THE A REA

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Illumination: GlOWing rods sticking up rrom the ~ top or each statue shed flickering light that dimly illu­ minates the chamber. Ceiling Entry: The entry shart leads down rrom a ceiling roughly 40 feet above the highest terraces and 85 reet above the ground floor. Statues: The three Large statues are made or stone (AC 4; Reflex 4 , Fortitude 12; hp 80). They provide cover. A character can make a DC 18 Athletics check to climb onto a statue. Floor Valve: This metallic dome (the octagonal feature on the map) has large clamps and the word "Inksoul" etched on one side. For nonclcmental crea­ tures, the valve requires a DC 28 Strength check or Thievery check to open. Subtle magic imbued in the valve bars elemental creatures entirely; however. the slaads' persistence has nearly exhausted the magic.

Encounter Level 15 (6,500 XP)

3 Oblivion Wraiths (W)

Level 14 Brute

large .,hJdow humanoid (undead I

SETUP 3 oblivion wraiths (W)

1 spirit ooze (0)

Torhana, spirit vampire (V)

Beneath the valve, a rough shaft descends 15 feet to the ceiling of the inner lock. Torhana's attempt to dis­ cover the secrets of the Body Luminous ended here, on the brink of sllccess.

When the PCs see the chamber, read: Thefloor and all but one wall ofthis chamber are smooth and silvery, like cloudy mirrors. Crystalline obelisks pro­ trudefrom thefloor. Misty f08 swirls at ankle hei8ht, too th in to conceal any thin8. Crates are piled in a distant corner. Radia nce leaks in throu8h an unusual wall to the east, outlin il18 the back of a humanoid skeleton on this side and ha zy silhOLLCttes on the other side. RadiatiJ18from the skel­ eton, scarsf racture the wall and floor. Religion Check DC 23 Nec romancy itifuses the mist on the floor but seems harmless in its current form.

XP 1.000 (,deh

Initiative +13 Senses Perception +7; darkvlsion Nihil (Necrotic) aura 2; each enemy that starts its turn within the aura takes 10 necrotic damage and cannot spend a healing surge until the start of its next turn. HP 116; Bloodied 58; see also death blast Regeneration 10 AC 26; Fortitude 25, Reflex 27, Will 24 Immune disease, poison; Resist 15 necrotic, insubstantial; Vulnerable radiant (if the oblivion wraith takes radiant damage, regeneration is negated until the end of its next turn) Speed fly 6 (hover); phaSing; see also shadow slide CD Nihil Strike (standard; at-will) Necrodc +15 vs. Reflex; 2d8 + 7 necrotic damage, and the oblivion wraith is invisible to the target until the end of the oblivion wraith's next turn. Obllvlate (standard: recharge [;] ~ [ll]) + Necrotic +15 vs. Reflex; 2d8 + 4 necrotic damage, and the target takes ongoing 15 necrotic damage and a -2 penalty to saving throws (save ends both). , .. Death Blast (when reduced to 0 hit points) Necrotic Close blast 3; targets enemies; +15 vs. Fortitude; 2d8 + 7 necrotic damage, and the target loses two healing surges. Miss: Half damage, and the target loses a healing surge. Shadow Glide (move: encounter) The oblivion wraith shifts 6 squares. Spawn Wraith Any humanoid killed by the oblivion wraith rises as a free-willed oblivion wraith at the start of its creator's next turn, appearing in the space where it died (or in the nearest unoccupied space). Raising the slain humanoid (using the Raise Dead ritual) does not destroy the spawned wraith. Alignment Chaotic evil Languages Common Skills Stealth +18 Str 20 (+12) Dex 23 (+13) Wls 10 (+7) Int10(+7) Con 16 (+10) Cha 18 (+11)

+

+

+

When the PCs come within 5 squares of the skeleton, read: A spi rit steps out ofthe skeleton and coalesces into the shape of a f emale human. She turns to you and says, "So many thin8s to see and learn! Are you here to see beyond the pale- to see what I've seen? Come, take a look with mel" Torhana's spirit continues to whisper disjOintedly to the characters. Because she never saw what she spent her life trying to see, however, she tires of speech. Hunger for life overwhelms her and ripples through the mist, stirring the memories of her companions' souls. They congeal from the fog into oblivion wraiths and a spirit ooze.

TACT ICS The oblivion wraiths attempt to envelop characters in their nihil aura, while the spirit ooze attacks the near­ est target mindlessly.

Spirit Ooze (0) L.l rge na tura l a nim a te (hlind,

00](',

Level 16 Elite Lurker XP ],8 00

lIn d(,,,d)

Initiative +20 Senses Perception +10: blind sight 10 HP 166; Bloodied 83: see also split AC 32; Fortitude 27, Reflex 32, Will 31; see also s/ipperyphasin8 Immune disease, gaze, poison: Resist 10 necrotic, insubstantial; Vulnerable 10 radiant Saving Throws +2 Speed fly 6 (hover); see also spirit sink and phose away Action Points 1 ® Spirit Sink (standard; at-will) + Necrotic Reach 2; +19 vs, Fortitude; 3d6 + 5 necrotic damage, and the target is weakened (save ends), The spirit ooze gains phasing until the end of its next turn, Split (when first bloodied; encounter) The spirit ooze splits into two Large oozes, one occupying the original ooze's space and the other in a space adjacent to it. Each of the creatures has hit points equal to half of the original creature's current hit pOints. Both creatures act on the original creature's initiative count. Effects applied to the original creature do not apply to either individual after the split. The spirit ooze cannot split if reduced to 0 hit points by the attack that bloodied it. If left alone, at the end of the encounter the two individuals combine into one spirit ooze, which has hit points equal to the individuals' total. Combat Advantage A spirit ooze deals 2d6 extra damage against any creature granting combat advantage to it. Phase Away (minor; while the spirit ooze has phasing; at-will) The spirit ooze shifts 1 square. Slippery Phasing (while the spirit ooze has phasing) The spirit ooze gains a +2 bonus to AC and Reflex. Alignment Unaligned Languages ­ Skills Stealth +21 Str 16 (+11) Dex 26 (+16) Wls 15 (+10) Con 17 (+11) Int 2 (+4) Cha 11 (+8)

---

Torhana drifts about in combat, making spirit touch attacks when she can. She moves to possess dead or unconscious characters as they become available.

FEATURES OF THE AREA Illumination: Light leaking through the translu­ cent wall dimly illuminates the chamber. Entry Shaft: The light-colored circle represents a lO -foot-diameter hole in the ceiling beneath the valve that the characters opened in the previous encounter. Ceiling: The ceiling is roughly r S feet high. Obelisks: The obelisks block line of Sight. They extend from floor to ceiling. An obelisk can be climbed with a DC 23 Athletics check. Cracks: Squares containing cracks that radiate from the skeleton are difficult terrain. Translucent Wall: Any living creature that touches the eastern wall is restrained (save ends). First Failed Savina Throw: The creature is restrained and knocked unconscious (save ends both). Second Failed Savina Throw: The creature is petrified as a crystalline mineral and fuses to the wall (no save). Crates: The crates contain foodstuffs, rope , water, and other gear, all magically preserved. A chest in

Torhana. Spirit Vampire (V) I\\c(liUIIl shadow hU fIldl1Uid (u nd ead)

Level 11 Lu r ker XP 700

Senses Perception +11; darkvlsion Initiative +14 HP 66 (99 if in a possessed body); Bloodied 33 AC 24; Fortitude 23, Reflex 24, Will 26 Immune disease, poison; Resist 5 necrotic, insubstantial (spirit form only); Vulnerable 5 radiant Speed 6 (possessed body only), fly 6 (spirit form only); phasing (spirit form only) ® Claw (standard; possessed body only; at-will) + Necrotic +17 vs. AC; 1d6 + 4 damage plus 1d6 + 4 necrotic damage. ® Spirit Touch (standard; spirit form only; at-will)" Necrotic +15 vs. Reflex; 2d6 + 6 necrotic damage. Blood Drain (standard; requires combat advantage; possessed body only; recharges when an creature adjacent to Torhana becomes bloodied) .. Healing +15 vs. Fortitude; 2d12 + 8 damage, the target is weakened

(save ends), and Torhana regains 16 hit points.

Possess Body (minor; at-will) Torhana can possess the body of a dead or unconscious Medium or smaller humanoid. While in a possessed body, she has the follOWing traits: + She loses fly 6, phaSing, and spirit touch. + She gains speed 6, claw, blood drain, and a +7 bonus to

Strength-based checks.

+ She loses the insubstantial quality and gains 33 temporary

hit points. When she loses the temporary hit points, the body

falls prone in its square and Torhana resumes spirit form.

+ While possessed, the body cannot regain hit points or

awaken. A dying creature is considered stable while Torhana

possesses its body. Healing the possessed creature deals

damage to Torhana equal to the hit points regained.

+ Melee and ranged attacks can target Torhana only. Close and area attacks target both the possessed creature and Torhana. + Torhana can leave a possessed body as a minor action. When she does so, she resumes spirit form and the body falls prone in the square Torhana occupies. + Once Torhana leaves a body, she cannot possess that body

again until the end of the encounter.

Vulnerable to Sunlight IfTorhana starts her turn in direct sunlight, she is dazed and cannot use possess body until the end of her turn. Alignment Chaotic evil Languages Common

Skills Bluff +17, Stealth +15

Str 6 (+4 or +11) Dex 18 (+10) Wls 10(+6)

Con 16 (+9) Int 10 (+6) Cha 22 (+12)

+ +

one of the crates holds the expedition's remaining funds: two level-IS treasure parcels.

CONCLUSION The characters have discovered the horrible truth of what happened to Torhana's expedition: The Body Luminous is a death trap. If you want to expand this adventure, you can con­ nect the mysteriOUS body to a fiJture catastrophe in your campaign world . An entire campaign arc could be devoted to learning the secrets that Torhana failed to find, or finding a way to sec the visions that she saw without being destroyed by the deadly walls. The final event of the campaign might be the characters' desperate attempt to prevent the foreseen apocalypse from occurring.

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An adventure area for five 25th-level adventurers

ENVIRONMENT

TziphaJ the Mountain Builder, primordial of folding earth, petrification, and volcanoes, nearly met his end in the Dawn War. The gods covered what remained of his body in stones from Celestia and mortared them with astral earth and divine blood. They wove elemental forces to lift the burial site aloft and shroud it deep within the Elemental Chaos. Tziphal has lain in stasis ever since.

The characters might come through Tholundru's planar gates, or they might arrive at the barrow by other means. The barrow lies among three earth­ motes that form a cluster of mountains around its protective orb.

BACKGROUND Arcana or Religion DC 27: The body ofTziphal the Mountain Builder rests in a barrow raised by dei ­ ties who defeated him during the Dawn War. TZiphal created most species that have the power of petri­ fkation-or their ancestors. His cairn attracts such creatures, as well as other beings of earth and stone. Arcana or Religion DC 32: A malformed stone giant runecarver named ThoJundru has spent years scouring the planes for a way to awaken Tziphal. In so doing, he has discovered secrets of the primordials. He has called and created primeval forces to aid him.

HOOK: PREVENT TZIPHAL'S REANIMATION The Mountain Builder's barrow drew Tholundru to it long ago_ Since then, with religious fervor, he has sought the means to revive the primordial. In the process, Tholundru has awakened monstrosities from the Dawn War, including retrievers and a primordial colossus. Tholundru set the colossus to guard the barrow against heretics and dispatched the retrievers to bring him materials for the reanimation ritual. The retrievers encounter the characters on one soch mission. Upon investigation, the characters learn that more retrievers have been stealing compo­ nents for an espeCially powerful reanimation ritual. Along with TZiphal cultists, goaded by Tholundru, they have also kidnapped or killed servants of deities. The party might find Tholundru's planar gate at a cult site or track a retriever to the gate. Quest XP: If the characters stop Tholundru from performing the reanimation ritual, they earn a major quest reward of35,OOO XP.

PLANAR GATE Tholundru has opened a planar gate through which his retrievers come and go. The single opening on the barrow site might link to several other places. This gate does not appear on the maps of the area but lies farther down the slope of the mountains.

I

Elemental Locales

As the PCs approach the barrow, read: Three masses ofearth form a duster ofmountains, down which flow threeweat streams: one ~f mud, one oflava, and one ofsemiliquid salt. Restina in a aap between them is a marble plaiform supported byfour columns. Several statues protrudefrom its top, some continuations ofthe support pillars. The statues surround a 8reat pile ofstones. Arcana Check DC 30 You deduce that the barrow is out oftemporal aH8nment with its 5urroundin8s, and that some nearby object is responsiblefor keepin8 it so. Lava: A river oflava flows down one of the moun­ tain slopes. The lava pours through a gap between the mountains and rains through the Elemental Chaos. Mud: Smothering mud slides down one of the slopes. It oozes through a gap between the moun­ tains, then slowly solidifies as it drops through the Elemental Chaos. Salt: A stream of barely liqUid, moisture-sucking salt runs down one of the slopes before dispersing into the Elemental Chaos. Time-Displaced Barrow: The barrow is visible, but it is displaced in time from the rest of the area, existing just seconds behind the present. This dis­ placement prevents visitors from meddling with the barrow. A creature can gain access only by retrieving and using a special key, which is in the hands of a pri­ mordial colossus standing in the lava river.

AREA 1: THE SLOPES Rivers oflava, salt, and mud flow down the slopes into a vale whose bottom opens to the limitless Elemental Chaos. From there, the streams plummet downward until they are lost to Sight. Characters who approach the slopes or the barrow must first defeat guardians that respond to the presence of intruders. Tactical Encounter: "The Slopes," page 102. AREA 2: THE BARROW The barrow, including platform and pillars, is slightly out of temporal synch with the rest of the area. The primordial colossus on the slopes holds the key that would bring the barrow back into alignment. Only defeating the primordial colossus allows access. Tactical Encounter: "The Barrow," page 104.

Encounter Level 26 (47,500 XP)

SETUP 1 primordial colossus (P) 1 retriever (R) 6 Tziphal xorns (X) The servants ofTziphal protect his tomb from crea­ tures he does not favor. Using the key it keeps gripped in its left hand, the colossus can bring the barrow back into temporal harmony with the surrounding area. Tholundru has ordered the colossus to grant entry only to him and other followers ofTziphal. If the characters try to climb the pillars or land on or otherwise interact with the barrow and its platform before activating the key, they simply pass through as if the object were not there. When the PCs draw near enough to the slopes to make out details, read: An enormous humanoid form stands next to the lava that Jlows down one ofthe trio of earth motes. Do not place the retriever until the characters notice it. The xorns do not appear until they burrow up from below and attack. Arcana Check DC 31 The form near the lava is a constmct with an aura ofelemental power. The lava does riot appear to harm it. Perception Check DC 31 A hUBe creature like a metallic spider lurks amid tumbled rocks near the lava river. Its Belli like eyes blaze with elemental power.

The monsters attack as soon as the characters draw close to them or attack them.

TACTICS The monsters do what they can to hurl the characters into the lava. The retriever opens with its eye rays and then uses retrieve to carry enemies to the lava and drop them in. The TZiphal xorns rely on erupt to push foes headfirst into the stream.

FEATURES OF THE AREA Illumination: GlOWing lava and daylight brightly illuminate the area. Slopes: The slopes are difficult terrain for crea­ tures moving up them. A creature knocked prone on a slope slides Id4 squares on the scree. Forced move­ ment down the slope increases by 2 squares. Lava River: A creature that starts its turn adjacent to lava takes 1dIO fire damage. One that enters lava or starts its turn in it takes 5dIO fire damage. The Primordial Colossus (P) Huge e lemental ,lIlill",!e ((Oll
+

+

+

TACTICS The quake gorgon uses its temblor aura to keep the char­ acters away from Tholundru and gores them while the stone giant uses area and ranged powers. It conserves emption breath for bunched enemies and uses BYoundin8 8lare to pull flying creatures into its reach. Tholundru uses stone from air to place shardstorm vortex whirlwinds between himself and the char­ acters. spacing the whirlwinds to foil area or close attacks. Then he hurls rime ofston), sleep at the party and spends an action pOint to follow lip with rune of

thunderin8 echo. While those powers recharge, Thol­ undru swings his enruned war pick. He focuses attacks on slowed characters to immobilize them, allowing his allies to take advantage of the attack bonus con­ ferred by his aura. Neither Tholundru nor the gorgon is affected by the statues' petrification, so they might try to maneu­ ver enemies into range of the traps.

FEATURES OF THE AREA Illumination: Glowing lava and daylight brightly illuminate the area. Cairn: The pile of stones slopes up from the center of the dais to 15 feet at its apex. It is difficult terrain. Any creature on the cairn takes a -2 penalty to saving throws against fire and petrification effects. Columns: Each smooth, carved support column is between 30 and 100 feet tall, depending on its posi­ tion on the slopes. Its polished surface requires a DC 25 Athletics check to climb. Platform Edges: A creature falling from the plat­ form plummets 30 to 100 feet to the slopes or into lava, mud, or salt (see the previous encounter). Steps: Shallow steps lead up from the edge of the platform. Serpent-Twined Statues: Three of the four Medium statues house traps, as described above. The fourth is an ordinary stone statue (AC5; Reflex 5, For­ titude 10; hp 50). All statues are blocking terrain.

CONCLUSION The characters find the reagents Tholundru has gathered for his ritual. Depending 011 your campaign plans. they might also discover prisoners Tholundru intended to sacrifice. You could expand the adven­ ture by adding a group of cultists who arrive too late to aid in the ritual. You might also devise a way for the heroes to lay TZiphal to rest for good , leading to further quests and a return to the Barrow of the Mountain Builder.

CHAPTER 4

THE DREADED

Abyss is a wound in reality, a diseased abscess in the Elemental Chaos synonymous with horror. Adventurers are sorely tested in the Abyss, braving its depths only after their other options are exhausted. Few willingly enter, fewer return, and still fewer emerge unbroken. More than a place, the Abyss is a presence-a death urge that would consume all existence ifit were left unchecked. It is entropy unleashed, hunger eternal, hatred and rage unquenchable. The Abyss is not merely the source of great evils, it is evil without end . The Abyss is both a part of the Elemental Chaos and a separate plane. It festers in the lower reaches of the Plane Below. a maw capable of swallowing entire worlds. It is bounded horizontally. confined to an ever-narrowing, swirling pit of entropy and chaos. but if the Abyss has a bottom, no one has reached it and returned. The layers ofthe plane might be infinite. Each known one is a realm that has its own inhabitants, its own terrain, and its own nature. This chapter presents an overview of the pit. divided into the following topics.

+ The Deepest Depths: How the Abyss and some of its layers function. and what traits they display, plus a discussion of means for traveling to and about the plane.

+ Abyssal Campaign Arcs: A pair of suggestions for involving paragon and epic characters in the workings and the treachery of the Abyss.

+ Abyssal Adventures: Sample adventure hooks and quests involving demons and the plane that spawns them.

+ Skill Challenges in the Abyss: Four skill challenges that could occur nowhere else.

+ Abyssal Locations: A few prominent fiendish sites with suggested encounter groups and environmental features .

C HAP T ER 4

I

Into the Abyss

NATURE AND SIZE

The Abyss is a hole in reality at the bottom of the Elemental Chaos, a whirlpool of matter and energy and chaos. Its outermost edges stretch far enough to beggar the imagination. The islands and oceans and storms of the Elemen­ tal Chaos beyond the pit's rim seem unaffected by its swirling forces. Still, a gradual spiral pattern to their movements can be discerned over the course of cons. Deeper within the Plane Below, the pattern becomes more obvious. The drifting masses, the flow of rivers, the paths of storms, even the invisible cur­ rents of chaos no longer churn at random. Instead, they commence a slow but inexorable spin, gathering in a circling maelstrom toward a dark, massive core. Objects at the pit's edge take years or even decades to complete their revolution, but as they are drawn ever inward, the spiral tightens. In time, they pour into the yawning cavity of the Abyss. Such entry to the pit might be inevitable, but it is not quick. Traveling beyond the Abyss's outer­ most influence and down into its mouth could take decades or centuries, so vast is the distance crossed. One vessel known as the Worldship, an enormous spelyammer of stone, has been attempting the journey for several generations. It is crewed by hundreds and inhabited by troops of dwarves and genasi, a smatter­ ing oftieflings, and one deva who reincarnates onto the ship again and again.

INF IN ITE LAYERS As befits a chasm of entropy, the Abyss is not a single location but a vast and brutal void that contains an uncounted Humber oflayers. Numerologists, scholars, and ecclesiasts claim that they number six hundred sixty-six, but no one has attempted to confirm tMs fact. Some strata are visible from the center of the spinning maelstrom-assuming a witness could survive the plunge. Others remain hidden in the churning blackness. As an elemental realm, the Abyss has most of the same traits as the Elemental Chaos, but no set of planar laws holds sway over its regions in general. Each of its layers has distinct planar features, and some particularly horrid ones vary far beyond what a normal imagination can conceive. The Elemental Chaos is predominantly a mix of the natural world's substances in their rawest form . In contrast, severa ~ twisted layers of the Abyss are formed of organic materials: flesh and blood, plant and bone. Although these environments seethe with malign will, they do not truly live.

C HAPTER 4

I

Into the Abyss

How can something be said to exist at the bottom of an infinite plane, or be a hole in reality? Perhaps the description is metaphorical. Still, if one travels far enough downwar d from any spot in the Elemental Chaos's known regions, the Abyss yawns below. The plane is definitely limited in certain respects. It has a clear upper boundary that, although huge, is theoretically measurable. A traveler can move beyond the Abyss into the rest of the Elemental Chaos. Yet the plane also seems to extend infinitely downward, a maelstrom spinning tighter and tighter, darker and darker, without a physical endpoint. Legends claim that it spirals downward to a final heart of evil, but none can prove that assertion. Individual realms within the Abyss are the size of worlds, but they are still bounded, with obvious edges that can be reached . Most levels are internally consistent, but some contain multiple realms, each with its own boundaries and physical laws. In a few instances, a single territory encompasses multiple layers. A few layers are spherical or bent mystically back onto themselves-a traveler who voyages far enough into one of these recursive realms eventually returns to the starting point.

GRAVITY'S WELL The Abyss has the same elemental buoyancy as the Elemental Chaos. A living being or a foreign vessel unfortunate enough to fall in continues to plummet to the black depths. The various masses of earth, water, acid, flesh, and stranger substances that make up the Abyss hover unaffected by gravity, drawn downward only by the slow spiraling of entropic energy. An individual layer, however, could feature any of the known types of planar gravity, whether intrinsi­ cally or at the behest of a demon lord or some other master. Locations of normal and subjective gravity (Manual ofthe Planes, page 10) can both be found, as can even stranger places where the direction of grav­ ity changes at the whim of powerful beings, or where objects ofgreat mass exert a pull on any smaller forms that wander near.

ABYSSAL MUTABILITY The various substances that swirl around in the Abyss are as easily manipulated as is the stuff of the Ele­ mental Chaos. Again, the individual layers have their own properties; many either are unstable or have normal mutability. Other layers are even stranger, mutating on their own or in response to the casual whims of passersby. Some demon lords and other powers are able to influence their surroundings, giving their layers the equivalent of divine mutability

(Manual ofthe Planes, page 10), though few deities dwell in the Abyss-Lolth might be the only one.

TRAVELING THE ABYSS The Abyss is even more difficult to navigate than the rest of the Elemental Chaos is. That said, certain layers are easily traveled, though far from safe. The surfaces of these places might take the form of pliable flesh, rivers of blood, or nets of webbing, but they are relatively stable and can support walking, sailing, or climbing. Other strata provide no safe footing and no eaSily traversed paths and thus require more unusual forms ofiocomotion. The same extraordinary means sometimes used to traverse the Elemental Chaos are also necessary to negotiate these places. Another concern is moving between layers. In a few rare cases, a traveler can physically pass from layer to layer without magic. It's possible, ifinadvis· able, to swim from the briny shores of Demogorgon's lair, Abysm, to the undersea domain of ancient Dagon. Crossing between most layers generally requires more exotic methods, however.

DIRECT DESCENT A foolhardy adventurer might try to explore the Abyss the hard way,using magic or planar vessels to fly deep into the maelstrom and stopping at various layers within the pit as they appear. Although techni· cally possible, such an approach is unwise. All the bizarre weather and deadly hazards of the Elemental Chaos manifest here, often charged with necrotic emanations rather than more traditional elements. Adding to the danger is the malevolent will of the Abyss. Winds and storms deliberately move into the path of travelers. The dark clouds can also be caustic or poisonous, blinding travelers who swiftly become lost in their howling depths. Layers revolve around the perimeter of the pit at varying speeds and heights. Locating a particular destination one time provides no guarantee that the feat can be repeated . Some travelers vanish into enveloping banks of darkness and are transported to random layers of the Abyss, thousands of miles from where they began. Many are never heard from again. The greatest dangers of a direct descent into the Abyss are the horrible creatures that dwell within the turbulent chaos between realms. Flying demons, such as vrocks, hunt the skies near the boundaries between layers to avoid competing with their land­ bound counterparts. Farther into the maelstrom, in the darkness between strata, roam horrific, primal creatures of indescribable evil.

DEMONGATES

ill

I ~

A demongate is a permanent portal between the natural world and the Abyss-usually, but not always, LU leading to Pazunia, the Plain of a Thousand Portals Q ~ (see Manual of the Planes, page 78). Although such ill LU gates are reliable ways of getting to the Abyss, none a. bridges from one layer of the Abyss to another. LU LU On rare occasions, a demongate allows access to o the Abyss from a plane other than the world. They have appeared in the Feywild, the Shadowfell, and elsewhere in the Elemental Chaos. Demongates are discussed in more detail on page 65 of Manual ofthe Planes. See also the "Destroyi ng a Demongate" skill challenge on page 115 of this book.

PORTALS Portals are the common means of traveling from layer to layer in the Abyss. A number of portals are permanent and well known, including the links between the three layers of Azzagrat, the doorways scattered across the Plain of a Thousand Portals, and the infamous Demonweb. Most of the permanent portals to the Abyss are two-way. For the most part, though, Abyssal portals are intermittent, and as many of them are one-way as not. Only a few such links are transparent; most are misty, opaque, or solid, making it impossible to tell what danger waits on the other side. A few project illusions, making their destinations appear safe when they're not. Ancient maps and lists claim to show the locations ofsafe-or at least predictable-Abyssal portals. These documents can rarely be trusted: A number of once-reliable portals are no longer so, and many maps filled with so-called secrets of the Abyss are circulated by demons to trap the gullible. A very few sources are accurate, however, allowing reliable and relatively safe travel between layers.

PLANAR VESSELS AND TELEPORTATION Given the dangers of the Abyss and the unpredict· ability of many portals, ritual teleportation and plane-shifting vessels are the safest ways to reach a given layer. Some locales, such as the city ofZelatar in Azzagrat (Manual ofthe Planes, page 80), contain several known teleportation circles and ports for spelyammers. Other layers deliberately interfere with teleport at ion and planar vessels, another sign of a malign sentience within the plane. Vessels and explorers teleporting to these layers often arrive wildly off target, appearing within the desired layer but in a region of terrible danger far from the intended destination.

CHAPTER 4 I Into the Abyss

The Abyss can be the basis for any number of story arcs, whether straightforward or convoluted. Although demonic nature tends toward blind destruction rather than subversive schemes, a few demons do exhibit some forethought. The demon princes are obvious examples, working to overthrow each other and conquer the Abyss. More devious types, such as cultists, often involve fiendish forces in their plans. The characters can become embroiled in these nefarious plots as they unfold. The following two example campaign arcs are suited to characters at the paragon and epic tiers. (Those at the heroic tier are usually not powerful enough to survive the Abyss's challenges.) As usual, they can serve as inspiration for your own stories.

PARAGON TIER:

THE BEST-LAID PLANS

In this campaign arc, the adventurers get involved in a battle-some might call it a mere skirmish-between Orcus and Graz'zt. They must travel to the Abyss sev­ eral times before the conclusion of the story. The campaign begins in a worldly city, where local authorities ask the characters to investigate an abnormally powerful gang war. Although two rival groups of thugs duking it out in the bad part of town is a common occurrence, these clashes leave smashed buildings and smoking craters in their wake. Also, a number of innocent passersby have been slain. The authorities were finally moved to act when the promi­ nent noblewoman Erra Deveera became a victim. The characters' investigations are stymied ini­ tially, but then a mysterious informant approaches them. This shadowy figure claims that the battles were instigated by a secret group of protectors, called Aranor's Shield , who are struggling against the mach­ inations of a cult ofOrcus. The story is true-what is told of it. Unless the characters somehow discover the informant's deception, they move on to battle the cult ofOrcus in its tunnels under the city's mauso ­ leum. The heroes clash with undead, demons, mortal cultists, and the cult's leader, a mummy lord. While they are so engaged, the sect's true enemy, a cult of Graz'zt, is free to take over the City. The characters' informant is actually a member of the cult who used them as tools to weaken the opposition. Once the Graz'zt cultists have no further use for their pawns, they move to eliminate the characters. The party strikes back and ultimately takes the fight to the cult in its fortress, an abandoned university. The characters' opponents include humanoid cult­ ists, demons, and allied elemental or abyssal beasts. During the course of their investigations, the heroes CHAPTER 4

I

Into the Abyss

also discover that Erra Deveera, the murdered noble· woman, was a member of the cult. Ultimately the characters triumph over the cult's leaders, a ruling triumvirate of six-fingered slayers and dark acolytes of Graz'zt (Manual ofthe Planes, page 133). But even as they do so, they learn that the cult is still one step ahead of them. When they emerge from the university stronghold, the characters are arrested by order of the duke. In truth, that noble has been replaced by the cult's shapechanging leader, a chosen of Graz'zt (Manual of the Planes, page 132) named Malikith. The false duke makes it easy for the characters to escape their prison, expecting them to come after him in his palace. When they do, he tricks them into walking through a one-way portal to the Abyss. The characters emerge on the Plain of a Thousand Portals with no easy means of escape. Demons and other servitors of demon lords challenge them, as do the Abyss's environmental hazards. The party meets up with a band ofsecretive merchants who offer transport in their spel!iammer in exchange for protect­ ing their camp. The ship is to depart in three days. Yet again, the deal is not as good as it seems. The supposed merchants are devil-worshiping cultists accompanying several disguised succubi. They are spying on the demons for their infernal masters, and they plan to kill the characters as soon as the letter of their agreement has been met. They attack after their spel!iammer leaves Pazunia. The characters, having overcome their attackers, might have a few unrelated adventures in the Ele­ mental Chaos as they navigate their way back home. They are likely to hold a grudge against the cult of Graz'zt. Even if they don't, once they return to the world they learn that the cult's influence is spreading. A true city-state of Graz'zt's design is taking shape. The party is approached by a concerned paladin. For once, this stranger is just what he appears to be. He has discovered that his sister is a long-time member of the cult, and he believes that she knows much about its movements and inner workings. He asks the characters to capture her in hopes of redeeming her and in order to learn what they can about the cult. The paladin's sister can be sequestered in what­ ever sort of dungeon you like. When the characters finally pry the information out of her, possibly involving magical coercion, she reveals an unfortu­ nate truth. Graz'zt, pleased with the cult's success, granted it an artifact called the Dream ofDominion. This crown enables its wearer to dominate creatures at will. One way to counter it is with a collection of different artifacts, the Helms ofthe Indomitable. An Orcus-worshiping archwizard created these arti­ facts centuries ago, and they are now kept in Orcus's realm , Thanatos.

The final adventures of the arc return the heroes to the Abyss, this time to Thanatos, where they must acquire the Helms using stealth and deception. Finally, the characters return to the world and fight their way to Malikith's headquarters. Although they defeat the cult and send its plans crashing down, Graz'zt or one ofhis disCiples will surely remember this slight.

EPIC TIER:

THE CONQU ERING DEMON

A powerful cult ofBaphomet (Manual ofthe Planes, page 118) has conquered one of the Elemental Cha­ os's few genasi trading cities. The populace is dead or fled-both the minotaur cultists and Baphomet are bloodthirsty ravagers. One of the refugee genasi approaches the characters and asks them to free the city. The minotaurs are strong but not overly bright. A party that employs finesse can overcome them with relative ease. While liberating the city, the characters encounter at least one living genasi, a former council member named Jett. He accompanies the characters as they free the city, watches them defeat the mino­ taur leader, and willingly offers whatever aid and information he can. Jett is actually a covert priest of Dagon (Monster Manual 2, page 45) who hopes to expand the demon's influence to other cities, using swifter methods than those employed to take Gloamnull (page 74). He had manipulated the Baphomet cultists into openly attacking the city so he could sweep in, with the aid of a few dark allies, and "rescue" it. His plans stymied for now, he cozies up to the heroes to gather more information about them. While the characters undertake other adventures, Jett contemplates what to do about his recently over­ turned plans. In the end, he forsakes subtlety and reconquers the city with a force of demons supplied by Dagon's ally, Demogorgon (Monster Manual 2, page 42). The characters uncover Jett's ruse and return to free the place again . They also learn that he hopes to use the genasi city as a beachhead for fiendish forces to conquer other important locations in the Elemen­ tal Chaos. The ultimate goal is to build an army of slaves, march into the Abyss, and conquer the rivals of Dagon and Demogorgon. By defeating Jett, the characters have person­ ally angered the Prince of Demons. Demogorgon launches a series of fiendish attacks against them, culminating in a strike by his exarch Thrarak (Mon­ ster Manual 2, page 47). The steadily escalating attacks, punctuated with a pointed declaration by one of Demogorgon's servants, send a clear signal that the two-headed fiend has no intention ofletting the matter drop. For the characters to survive, the Prince of Demons must die.

Such an effort requires stout warrior allies who are willing-and able-to take on a demon lord. Convincing others to join the mission is easier than the heroes might imagine: Rulers, gods, and rival demon lords all seek the defeat of Demogorgon. While gathering companions, the characters must survive continuing assaults by ever more powerful soldiers of the Prince of Demons. The attacks culminate when the exarch Kazuul (Monster Manual 2, page 46) and an army of demons invade the natural world to lay waste to everything the characters hold dear. Eventually the characters confront or outmaneu­ ver Jett and learn of Dagon's influence. They might decide that removing the Lord of Depths would help their cause immeasurably. The climax of the cam­ paign is a showdown: the characters and their allies on one side, and one or both demon lords and their forces on the other. If the heroes can't kill one or both of the demon princes, they can still claim a major vic­ tory by substantially weakening them.

LOW LEVEL, H1GH DANGER The sample campaign arcs presented here involve the paragon and epic tiers. Characters at the heroic tier simply aren't tough enough to survive extended forays into the Abyss or the prolonged attentions of its inhab­ itants. Nevertheless, you can still introduce abyssal influences into heroic tier adventures or campaigns. The Simplest means of doing so is to pit the characters against the cultists of a demon lord. Since foolish or mad individuals of all levels might turn to worship of such vile beings, you can design these opponents to suitably chal­ lenge the party's abilities. Such organizations also allow you to foreshadow the appearance of more powerful abyssal entities in the campaign at higher levels. Perhaps your heroic tier characters are already in the Elemental Chaos when a demonic force launches an attack. They might be inhabitants of or visitors to a major community of the Plane Below, such as a githzerai monastery or a genasi or efreet trading post. The charac­ ters aren't yet powerful enough to stand on the front line against the demon hordes, but they can still contribute to the battle in important ways. For example, they can protect and evacuate some of the population, fight lone demonic scouts that penetrate the settlement, or patrol the streets against looters or other scum that would take advantage of the turmoil. This activity in turn brings the party to the attention of more influential patrons-and more dangerous enemies. The influence of the Abyss occaSionally bleeds into the world for a short time through a planar breach. Ifthe characters aren't tough enough to handle a sojourn in the Abyss, you can bring the Abyss to them. A small region that has been corrupted and twisted Into a reflection of the darkest pits makes an interestihg and terri fying glimpse of the campaign's future.

C HAPTER 4

I

Into the Abyss

V1

U 0::

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«

The following hooks and plot seeds might inspire a variety ofAbyss-themed adventures_ They follow the same format as those presented in the "Adventures" section of chapter 1.

11:

CLOSING THE PORTAL

Opening and closing portals to unpleasant places is a standard fantasy trope_This adventure puts a slight spin on that theme by requiring a portal to be closed only from its dangerous side. Someone or something-perhaps a demon­ worshiping cult, an insane wizard, or an arcane accident-has created a portal to the Abyss from the world. The rift opens into a relatively uninhabited area of the Abyss, and so far only a few minor demons (barlguras, evistros, and mezzodemons) have come forth . The climax of this quest could be the "Destroy­ ing a Demongate" skill challenge presented on page 115. Success, though , might strand the heroes in the Abyss. Now they must get home without falling afoul of the pit's more potent residents. Quest Hook: Demons are wreaking havoc on the local townsfolk. Although they are among the weak­ est of their kind , the attackers can be stopped only by intrepid heroes. Killing the demons isn't enough; to end the attacks, the characters must find and close the portal through which the demons emerge. First, they have to deal with the portal's guardians. A skill chal­ lenge, or perhaps a simple Arcana check, reveals that the passage can be closed only from the other side. Quest XP: If the characters succeed in closing the portal, they earn a major quest reward of3,OOO XP.

STREETS OF DEMONS (PAR AGON OR EPIC TIER ) The notorious thief and tomb robber Galek Night­ less is wanted, dead or alive, in cities throughout the world-and beyond. His enemies include monarchs, archmages, and high priests. Several years ago, Galek exhausted his resources in the mundane realm. With no new identities to assume, no safe havens, and a dwindling list of friends, he fled the world. He feels at home both in cities and in places fraught with corruption, so he settled in an ideal place-Zelatar in the Triple Realm ofAzzagrat (Manual ofthe Planes, page 79). Even though Galek was surrounded by the foulest creatures in creation, his enemies eventually caught up with him. To stay alive, the thief was forced to adopt a new identity, draWing on all the tricks and schemes learned throughout his long career.

CHAPTER 4 I Into the Abyss

Quest Hook: The characters must find Galek. The Simplest motivation is a huge bounty on the master thiefs head-enough to make a trip to the Abyss worth the risk. On the other hand, the characters might just need to talk to him. They might want to know what the inscription on an emperor's tomb read before Galek broke it, or learn the whereabouts of an artifact he once stole. To find Galek, the party must journey to Zelatar and survive its dangers, contend with the fugitive's allies or hired muscle, locate his common haunts , and somehow corner him.

DEMONS GALORE If you want to populate an adventure with demons, you hav, ~Ienty of choices. Here's a list of every demon that appears in the Monster Manual (MM), Monster Manual 7. (MM1), Manual of the Planes (MP). or Dun8eon Master's Guide 1 (DMG1). Monster Dretch Ru nespiral Demon ~upture Demon Gnaw Demon Evistro Bloodseep Demon Canoloth Barlgura Neldrazu Mezzodemon Arctide Runespiral Demon Needle Demon Shadow Demon Canoloth Harrier Vrock Abyssal Eviscerator Bloodcry Barlgura Chasme Vrock Swordwing Pod Demon Solamith Immolith Deathrager Immolith Podspawn Yochlol Tempter Bebilith Goristro Kazrith IHezrou Nycademon Glabrezu Aspect of Orcus Aspect of Graz'zt Marilith Aspect of Demogorgon Abyssal Rotfiend Balor Baphomet Kazuul Graz'zt Dagon Orcus Demogorgon

Level and Role Source 1 Brute MM254· 5 Artillery MM259 5 Minion Soldier MM260 5 Skirmisher MM254 MM 54 6 Brute 7 Skirmisher (l) MM253 7 Soldier MP110 8 Brute MM53 8 lurker MM256 11 Soldier MM 58 11 Artillery MM260 11 Controller MM156 11 Elite lurker MP111 MP110 13 Minion 13 Skirmisher MM58 14 Brute MM251 14 Brute DMG2117 14 Skirmisher MP 111 14 Skirmisher DMG2111 15 Elite Artillery MM258 15 Artillery MP 113 15 Brute DMG1111 15 Controller MM56 15 Minion Skirmisher MM2 59 17 Controller MM161 18 Solo Brute MM251 MM55 19 Elite Brute 20 lurker MM2 55 22 Brute MM 56 22 Skirmisher MM257 MM54 23 Elite Brute 24 Elite Brute MM 208 24 Elite Skirmisher MP 131 24 Elite Skirmisher MM57 25 Elite Controller MM244 26 Controller MM 251 27 Elite Brute MM 53 28 Solo Brute MP 118 28 Elite Soldier MM246 MP 130 32 Solo Controller 32 Solo Soldier MM245 MM 207 33 Solo Brute (l) 34 Solo Controller MM241

Quest XP: If the characters vanquish Felias's ~ ghost, they earn a minor quest reward of 3,200 XP. 0::: Quest XP: If the characters manage to rediscover ~ the old ritual, they earn a major quest reward of Z 16,000XP. ~

28: To TRICK TH£ PRINC£ OF B£ASTS

Quest XP: If the characters manage to find Galek and get what they need, they earn a major quest reward based on their level (Dun8eon Master's Guide, page 122).

21:

TH£ LAST WITN£SS

Long ago, a cult ofOrcus engaged in an elaborate ritual to bring the Lord of Undeath into the world. An eladrin wizard named Felias stopped the cult with a counter-ritual of his own design. Enraged, Orcus directed his followers to track down Felias, capture him, and drag him to Oblivion's End. Felias finally succumbed after many years oflengthy tor­ ment Nothing stays dead in Thanatos, though. Felias returned as a tormenting ghost (Monster Manual, page 117), driven mad by the tortures visited upon him. Quest Hook: A new sect ofOrcus worshipers has rediscovered the old cult's ritual and is again attempt­ ing to call the demon lord to the world. The only known way to stop the ritual is Felias's counter-ritual, but Orcus's followers suppressed all information about it. Felias's records were destroyed when he was captured. The only way to reconstruct the ritual is to consult the long-dead eladrin. The characters journey to Thanatos to contact him , but his ghost is too insane to communicate reasonably. The characters must find a means of restoring his sanity. Barring that , they must destroy the ghost, find Felias's body, and use the Speak with Dead ritual. Only then can they hope to retrieve the information they need.

Baphomet (Manual ofthe Planes, page 118) didn't get to be a demon prince by being stupid or gull­ ible. Still, Lolth, the Demon Queen of Spiders, is far more cunning and patient. She has been plying the Prince of Beasts for years, sending him gifts, entrusting demons to his service, and showering him with flattery. Having finally won his trust, she has convinced him that she can weaken the demon lord Yeenoghu's defenses long enough for Baphomet to storm his rival's realm and destroy his hated enemy. The Horned King musters his army and prepares to attack, and Lolth promises to keep his domain safe in his absence. Without interference, Yeenoghu slays Baphomet but is so weakened that Lolth, hidden nearby, can finish him. The characters might not care if these demon lords kill each other, but they should be con­ cerned when the ensuing chaos greatly improves Lolth's status. With their masters dead, the demons sworn to Baphomet and Yeenoghu turn their alle­ giance to the Queen of Spiders. Lolth is already a god-a flood of new demons to her banner would make her even more dangerous. With this newfound power, it will not be long before she turns her covet­ ous eyes to the world , or even the Astral Sea. Quest Hook: The characters learn of the demonic maneuvering through terrestrial followers of the demon lords. Baphomet's cults undertake rituals to transport them to the Abyss so they can fight at their lord's side, while followers ofLolth prepare a great celebration. After discovering the extent ofLolth 's plan and assessing the risk, the characters descend into the Abyss to stop her. The best outcome would be for Yeenoghu to slay Baphomet, Lolth to vanquish Yeenoghu, and the heroes to put down Lolth or at least stymie her plots. Accomplishing all this would throw three layers of the Abyss into chaos and keep their demon residents too busy tearing each other apart to trouble the world any time soon. Quest Reward: If the heroes stop Baphomet from attacking Yeenoghu's realm, they earn a minor quest reward of 13,000 XP. Quest Reward: If the characters manage to achieve the defeat of the three demon lords, they receive a major quest reward of 65 ,000 XP.

CHAP TE R 4

I

Into t.he Abyss

o ~

There's much more to adventuring in the Abyss than "merely" combating demons and other horrendous creatures. The four skill challenges in this section are prime examples of other threats that visitors to the Abyss might have to deal with. To determine easy, moderate and hard DCs tai· lored to the level of a skill challenge, refer to the table on page 24.

A BYSSAL MADNESS The Abyss is a maddening place. Adventurers are made of stern stuff and can handle the everyday ter­ rors of the Abyss, but some areas are so dark and full of despair that even the strongest mind crumples. Checks in this skill challenge could occur hourly or daily, depending on the intensity of the madness­ inducing effects and how frequently they threaten the characters'sanity. Level: Equal to the level of the party (XP equal to the reward for five standard monsters of the party's level). Complexity: 5 (requires 12 successes before 3 failures) . Special: Each time a character fails an Endurance, Perception, or Religion check in thi s skill challenge, th at character gains an insanity effect (see the table below). Each failed check after the first results in a +2 cumulative bonus to the roll on the insanity table. A character can have multiple insanity effects, although he or she can't be affected by the same one more than once unless the effect so specifies. Each effect lasts until the characters succeed on the skill challenge or until a Remove Affliction ritual is performed. Primary Skills: Endurance, Perception, Religion. Endurance (hard DC by level): Through an act of stubbornness or inner strength, the character resists the onset of madness and fortifies the will of his or her companions. Perception (moderate DC by level):The character is able to see past the madness and keep his or her com­ panions focused on the task at hand. Reli8ion (moderate DC by level): The character's faith sustains the group. Secondary Skills: Bluff, Diplomacy, Heal. Intimidate. Bluff (easy DC by level, when an ally fails an Endur­ ance, Perception, or Reli8ion check):The character turns an ally away from the madness at the last second-for a price. A successful check negates the failure from the triggering check. but not the insanity effect. 'W hether or not this check succeeds. the character making the Bluff check gains an insanity effect.

C HAPTER 4 I Into the Ab y ss

INSANITY EFFECTS d20 Effect 1-5 Jitters: The character develops nervous tics. He or she takes a -2 penalty to all Dexterity-based checks. This penalty is cumulative If this result Is rolled more than once. 6 -10 Hysteria: The character becomes afraid of any sudden movement and loud noise. He or she takes a -2 penalty to initiative checks, to Will, and to any defense attacked by a fear effect. This penalty Is cumulative if this result is rolled more than once. 11-15 Melancholy: The character stops caring and falls Into a deep depression. He or she can take only two actions each turn. If a character obtains this result more than once, he or she Instead becomes dazed. 16 Mania: The character is a bundle of unfocused energy. He or she can take an extra move action in place of a minor action. If the character does so, he or she takes a -2 penalty to attack rolls and to all defenses until the end of his or her next turn. 7 '"Megalomania: The character believes he or she Is Invincible. He or she cannot use healing surges during an encounter until first bloodied. 18 Paranoid Delusion: The character is so distrustful that he or she no longer counts as an ally to anyone. ,-g- Manic Depression: The character fluctuates between melancholy and mania (as described above). Each round, he or she rolls a d20 at the start of his or her turn. On a result of 1-10, the character is affected by melancholy; on a result of 11-20, the character is affected by mania. 20 Dementia: The character has trouble distinguishing reality from fantasy. He or she automatically fails any Intelligence-, Wisdom-, or Charisma-based checks. r."''-r21+ -C :;;Oatatonla: The character retreats into himself or herself and Is unresponsive. Treat this state as being unconscious, except that the character is still aware.

Diplomacy (moderate DC by level, when an allyfails an Endurance, Perception, or Reli8ion check): Using reason. empathy. and careful words. the character talks an ally back from the brink. A successful check negates the failure from the triggering check, but not the insanity effect. Heal (moderate DC by level, when an ally fail s an Endurance, Perception, or Reli8ion check): The character tends to the ally's trauma. A successful check negates the insanity effect from the triggering check. but not the failure.

Intimidate (hard DC by level, when an ally fails an Endurance, Perception, or Reli8ion check): The character forces the ally to snap out of it. The ally must be con· scious and willing to cooperate. A successful check negates both the failure and the insanity effect from the triggering check. Success: The party holds together. The characters' minds are weary, but they are stronger for the expe· rience. All insanity effects gained during the skill challenge end. Failure: It's too much ... each character gains an additional insanity effect. The insanity can be relieved only by a Remove Affliction ritual.

D ESTROYING A DEMONGATE Demongates-permanent two·way portals between the Abyss and other pOints in the cosmos-are a con· stant danger. Although a demongate can be blocked by the Arcane Lock ritual (Manual ofthe Planes, page 149), such a temporary seal is too weak to hold back powerful denizens of the Abyss. Utterly destroying a demongate is no easy task, and it requires traveling to the portal's Abyss side. Level: Equal to the level of the party, or up to three levels higher (XP equal to the reward for five standard monsters of the challenge's level). Complexity: 5 (requires 12 successes before 3 failures).

Special: Dealing with a demongate is a traumatic process. Unless a character's primary skiH check beats the DC by 5 or more, that character loses a healing surge in addition to any other effect of the skill check. Primary Skills: Arcana, Religion, Thievery. Arcana (hard DC by level, standard action): The char· acter funnels abyssal energy from the demongate into his or her own body and then disperses it, diminish· ing the gate's power. This is a traumatic process, and it costs the character a healing surge. Reli8ion (moderate DC by level, standard action): The character purifies the gate by drawing on divine power. Thievery (hard DC by level, standard action): A character adjacent to the gate is able to disable or rearrange the runes, sigils, and eldritch energy that fuel and regulate its power. Secondary Skill: Endurance. Endurance (easy DC by level, immediate interrupt, when a character loses a healin8 suraefrom makin8 a pri· mary skill check): The character making the Endurance check loses the healing surge instead of the character making the primary skill check. On a failure, both characters lose a healing surge. Success: The demongate is destroyed, flaring in a burst of dark energy. Each nondemon within 1 mile of the Abyss side of the demongate takes ongoing 5 CHAPTER 4

I

Into the Abyss

fire, cold, lightning, and poison damage per tier and is dazed (save ends both). Aftereffect: The creature is dazed (save ends). Based on your plans for the adven· ture, you determine whether the party can escape through the collapsing demongate or must find another way home. Failure: The demongate is not destroyed but still narcs with chaotic energy. Each nondemon creature within 1 mile of the Abyss side of the demongate takes ongoing 5 fire, cold, lightning, and poison damage per tier and is dazed (save ends both). Development: Whether or not the characters are successful in sealing the demongate, the flare emit· ted alerts demons that someone is tampering with it. This skill challenge can result in an encounter with enraged demons or even a demon horde (see below), depending on your plans for the adventure.

ESCAPING A DEMON HORDE Countless demons roam the Abyss and portions of the Elemental Chaos. They gather in hordes too large and destructive for even a seasoned group of heroes to fight. Often, running is the only sensible response. In this skill challenge, the characters must escape from a horde of demons. The challenge is also suit­ able for fleeing from slaad mobs, packs of elementals, or other large hostile groups. It assumes the action takes place over hours rather than rounds. Each hour of the flight, every character must make an Endurance check (see below) to keep up the pace. Except where otherwise noted, each character can also make a single primary or secondary skill check each hour. Level: One or two levels higher than the party level (XP equal to the reward for five standard mon° sters of the challenge's level). Complexity: 5 (requires 12 successes before 3 failures). Primary Skills: Acrobatics, Arcana, Athletics, Nature, Stealth. Acrobatics (hard DC by level):The character uses superior agility to scout from vantage points and to find unusual routes away from the horde. Failure costs each party member a healing surge. A character who has no healing surges left loses hit points equal to his or her healing surge value. Arcana or Nature (hard DC by level): The character uses knowledge of the Abyss or Elemental Chaos to predict geography and help the group find the best trail. A character who is familiar with the Elemental Chaos can attempt a Nature check instead of an Arcana check. Use Religion for this check if the chase takes place in the Astral Sea or the Shadowfell. Use Nature if the action takes place in the world or the Feywild. Athletics (hard DC by level): The character uses Ath­ letics to bring the group to higher ground, or to put rough terrain between the group and its pursuers. CHAPTER 4 I Into the Abyss

Failure costs each party member a healing surge. A character who has no healing surges left loses hit points equal to his or her healing surge value. Stealth (moderate DC by level): The character finds a good hiding spot, such as a valley or hollow, allow­ ing the party to temporarily avoid the pursuers in the nick of time. Secondary Skills: Diplomacy, Endurance, Heal, Insight, Intimidate, Perception. Diplomacy or Intimidate (hard DC by level): The char­ acter spurs on his or her companions by relating the horrors that await if they fail to keep pace. A success with this skill grants each character a +2 bonus to his or her next Endurance check. Endurance (moderate DC by level; mandatory check): To keep up the grueling pace, the characters tax themselves severely. Each character must make an Endurance check each hour; on a failure, he or she loses a healing surge. A character who has 110 healing surges left loses hit points equal to his or her healing surge value. In addition, the character is weakened during any surprise round and the first round of any combat until his or her next Endurance check is a success, or until the party successfully ends the skill challenge or takes al1 extended rest. Heal (hard DC by level): The character works to keep the group healthy and to minimize fatigue. A suc­ cess on this check prevents each party member from lOSing a healing surge to one failed skill check this hour. Insi8ht or Perception (hard DC by level, once per day): The character notices something in the demons' behavior (Insight) or their search tactics (Perception) that aids the group. This recognition negates one fail­ ure already accumulated in this challenge. Each of these skills can be used to gain a maximum of 1 suc­ cess in this challenge. Success: The characters evade the demon horde and are safe ... for now. Failure: Some of the demons catch up to the char­ acters. They face a combat encounter two or three levels higher than the party's level. If the characters overcome the opposition, they can start a new skill challenge and try to escape the remaining horde.

NAVIGATING THE DEMONWEB Any wrong turn in the Abyss can be deadly, but no place in that vile realm is as labyrinthine and ter­ rifying as Lolth's Demonweb. Its silk-lined, tubelike passages continually morph and shift as her pets spin new webs and tear down the old, making any attempt to map the Demonweb futile. You can use this epic tier skill challenge whenever the characters must win passage through a section of the Demonweb. Perhaps they need to reach one of the portals hidden within its tangle of passages, or

complete a mission against the Demon Queen ofSpi­ ders or her servants. Extended forays into Lolth's lair might require succeeding on this skill challenge multiple times as the characters find their way from one section of the Demonweb to another. Each hour of the passage, unless at least one char­ acter makes a successful Arcana check to keep the group on track (see below), the party gains 1 failure. In addition, each hour every character must make an Endurance check (see below) to resist the poisonous effects of the webs' inhabitants. Except for the charac­ ter making the Arcana check, each character can also make a single primary or secondary skill check each hour. Level: Equal to one level lower than the level of the party, increasing by one for each new skill challenge as another section of the Demonweb is discovered (XP equal to the reward for five standard monsters of the cha Ilenge's level). Complexity: 5 (requires 12 successes before 3 failures). Primary Skills: Acrobatics, Athletics, Arcana, Nature. Acrobatics or Athletics (hard DC by level): The char­ acter scrambles around in the tunnel and locates an opening, or cuts through the tunnel walls, revealing a safe path to another tangle of webbing. This skill can be used to gain a maximum of 1 success in this challenge. Arcana (moderate DC by level): The character uses his or her knowledge of the Abyss to keep the group moving in the right direction. Allies can aid this check, to a maximum bonus of +4. This skill can be used to gain a maximum of 1 success each hour. Nature (hard DC by level): Although the Demonweb is far different from anything in the world, enough

natural arachnids d'well there for a skilled pathfinder to discern clues about the environment from their behavior. Secondary Skills: Endurance, Heal, Perception. Endurance (moderate DC by level; mandatory check): The Demonweb is infested with spiders and other dangerous arachnids. Avoiding all their stings and bites is impossible, resulting in accumulated poison over time. Each character must make an Endurance check each hour; on a failure, he or she loses a heal­ ing surge. A character who has no healing surges left loses hit points equal to his or her healing surge value. A failure on this skill check does not count as a failure in the skill challenge. Heal (hard DC by level, when a character fails an Endurance check): The character successfully treats the character who failed the Endurance check. The ally does not lose a healing surge. Perception (easy DC by level): The character notices something about the environment that aids naviga­ tion-he or she might feel a faint breeze from one direction, or spot signs of danger from another. A character who succeeds on this skill check can grant a +2 bonus to another character's subsequent Arcana check. Success: The characters reach their destination or the next stop along the way. If the place they arrive at is guarded, the characters gain surprise against the guardians. Failure: The characters become hopelessly turned around and run into a dangerous trap or group of monsters. They face a combat encounter of a level equal to that of the skill challenge. The characters must start the skill challenge anew to reach their destination or to make their way back to their start­ ing pOint.

CH APTER 4

I Into the Abyss

Only powerful demons and those that serve them live long in the Abyss. Braving its depths requires great courage or equally great foolishness. Adventurers find little respite in its stinking swamps of filth. shift­ ing seas of necrotic seepage. and pits of hateful bile. The closest thing to civilization is the sleazy markets of Azzagrat. The bizarre and horrific regions of the Abyss are legion. The following sample locations should get your fiendish imagination working.

angels' limbs are twisted, they have sprouted horns and barbs. and their wings are fiery. or black and leathery like those of bats. Only their featureless faces and haughty manner betray their origin. The former angels are not aware of their dread transformation and continue offering shelter and aid to all who happen upon Mal Arundak and survive the demon throng outside. Unfortunately for those in their care. the angels' demonic taint manifests in paranoia. vanity, and blood lust. In the end. visitors must escape or fall under Alusiel's crackling sword of"vrath.

INHABITANTS AND CULTURE

MAL ARUNDAK,

THE BASTION OF CONFUSION

At the heart of a vast rainless waste. overlooking a gorge dropping into nothingness. stands a tall basalt bastion emblazoned with the symbol of Pelor. A horde of demons ebbs and flows around it like a terrible sea. Within the fortress. a group offormer angels stands guard over what they believe is the trapped essence of the Chained God. Tharizdun. They are wrong. and they have fallen into terrible folly. This Bastion of Confusion was crafted by the leader of the guardians. Alusiel. to hold the Ebon Stone. The gods gave Alusiel this item not long after they shackled Tharizdun. telling the angel that the Stone was the essence of that dread being. Alusiel and other angels were charged with binding it within the Abyss and watching over it until the end oftime. They have never questioned their assignment. This unthinking loyalty has led to their corruption and ultimate damnation. Alusiel and the fellow guardians have resided at Mal Arundak for so long that the Abyss has trans­ formed them into demons. Their forms and souls are terrible mockeries of what they once were. This alteration has been so subtle that they are convinced that they remain creatures of grace and light. To outsiders. however. their fall is obvious. The former

WHAT 15 MAL ARUNDAK

GUARD1NG?

Whatever it might be. it's not Tharizdun. The former angels have been tricked into the corruption of Mal Arundak for mysterious reasons. Although the Ebon Stone does contain the essence of a powerful creature. it does not hold the Chained God. The exact reason for the subterfuge. and the identity of the creature bound in the stone, are up to you.

CHAPTER 4

I Into the Abyss

The demons that surge and snarl outside Mal Arun­ dak never try to penetrate the bastion. though they are happy to tear apart travelers or fallen angels that come within reach. They exist only to buttress Alusiel's purported goal of protecting the Bastion of Confusion. Just how they know to maintain this care­ ful facade is not known. Treating with constituents of the demon horde is impossible. Large groups splinter off to attack and pursue any nondemon on sight (see the "Escaping a Demon Horde" skill challenge. page 116). However. flying is a relatively safe way to enter the Bastion. The surrounding horde contains horrors capable offJight. but they are far fewer than the land-bound demons. Once inside. visitors remain threatened. They must convince the corrupted angels that they too are servants of the gods. or at least are actively working to fight evil. Despite their terrible forms. the former angels mercilessly attack anyone who even hints that corruption has taken hold ofthem. Alusiel's company gives aid and respite for a short time. no more than a day or two. before paranoia and doubt sour the relationship. As time goes on. the corrupted angels become certain that their visitors are searching for the Ebon Stone and that they are working toward the release of the Chained God. They respond by first limiting visitors' access to highly controlled parts of the bastion. After a time. they set upon the visitors. imprisoning them in dank oubli­ ettes in the lowermost reaches of Mal Arundak. The angelic host attacks to kill any who try to escape. but they do not pursue beyond the walls of Mal Arundak. The former angels are bound by their duty to guard the Ebon Stone.

MAJOR AREAS Just as the strange situation within the walls of Mal Arundak is rife with adventure potential. so too is the vast wasteland around it.

Asag: Leagues beyond Mal Arundak , but vis­ ible from the uppermost reaches of the bastion, is a shining and treeless oasis. The entire site is a vast, unmoving demon called Asag. This strange being engulfs any creature that attempts to gain refresh­ ment from its sparkling but poisoned waters. Even those who choose to circumvent the terrible place might be ambushed-several solamiths and barlguras dwell within burrows dug into Asag's massive body. Hesaxath's Lair: The seemingly endless gorge that Mal Arundak overlooks is home to a deadly hive of chasmes (Manual ofthe Planes, page 121). These monsters serve an undead dragon named Hesaxath, who is covertly building a power base in the hope of becoming the Abyss's next demon lord. Hesaxath's lair reeks of sulfur and death. Its chambers are filled with the dragon's vast hoard, including one artifact-a seer's stone supposedly created by IOlln.

ADVENTURES Mal Arundak is an excellent way to introduce a cam­ paign set in the Abyss. Although the fortress seems a refuge of normalcy amid the chaos, it is soon revealed as another instance of demonic terror. Getting into Mal Arundak is difficult enough. The tougher challenge is dealing with delusional angels that can turn on the characters at a moment's notice. The heroes must walk a fine line-encouraging their hosts' desire to help servants of the gods while quieting the dark corruption that has stained their essence. A truly epic task could be finding a way to redeem Alusiel and the others, perhaps by retrieving the Ebon Stone. ENVIRONMENTAL FEATURES Asag Black Grass: Although the area ofAsag is treeless, black grass appears to grow from its surface. In truth , the stalks are the demon's appendages. Resembling cilia, the tendrils grab at anything in reach . Any nondemon that falls prone in a square of Asag black grass must make a DC 20 Strength check to stand up. Each creature that is prone in a square ofAsag black grass at the end of its turn takes 10 acid damage. Screaming Winds: The areas around the Bastion of Confusion are immense and lifeless wastelands. Winds blow strongly over the dusty plains, howling with anguished cries. Dangerous whirlwinds (Dun­ [Jean Master's Guide, page 69) often arise. ENCOUNTER GROUPS The following encounter groups fit the strange hap­ penings of Mal Arundak.

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Level 11 Encounter (XP 3,450) • 3 barlguras (level 8 brute, MM 53) • 2 canoloths (level 7 sold ier, Manual ofthe Planes 120) • 2 evistros (level 6 brute, MM 54) • 2 neldrazus (level 8 lurker, MOl1ster Manual 2 56) • 2 runespiral demons (levelS artillery, Monster Manual 2 59) Level 14 Encounter (XP 5,200) • 4 corrupted angels of protection· (level 14 soldier, MM 15) • 1 corrupted angel ofvalor* (level 15 skirmisher, MM 14) * To reflect these angels' corruption, change their origin to elemental, add the demon keyword, and give them resist 10 variable (2/encounter). Level 15 Encounter (XP 6,200) • 2 boneclaws (level 14 soldier, MM 37) • 3 chasmes (level 14 skirmisher, Manual ofthe Planes 121) • 1 immolith (level 15 controller, MM 56)

CHAPTER 4 IInto the Abyss

MOLOR, THE STINK ING REALM Juiblex, patron of slimes and oozes, is a disgusting and unfathomable demon prince. He rules a revolt­ ing layer of the Abyss, of which the Stinking Realm of Molor is iconic. It is a land of oozes and slime, many infused with demonic energy. The area is permeated with filth, decay, and the atmosphere of long-dead empires. Its malodorous denizens are at home in the filth, carriers of disease and infested with parasites. Molor is anathema to Erathis, the deity who personi­ fies the heights of civilization; the Sinking Realm embodies its nadir and, perhaps, its ultimate fate.

INHABHANTS AND CULTURE Molor's inhabitants are demons, oozes, otyughs, and similar creatures that have no civilization. Society is not absent, however. A town called Thullgrime hunches in the twisted tunnels like a feeble and wast­ ing toad. Mad cultists, trapped and dying explorers, wererats, and disease -riddled consumptives dwell in its streets and shantytowns. They are a weakened lot, futilely attempting to ward off a slow, debilitat­ ing, and inevitable doom. Though they are little more than scavengers in the wilderness, a shared sense of decay and disease unites these individuals. Outsiders are horrified when they learn that intelligent crea­ tures of any sort reside in this putrid sinkhole.

JU1BLEX, THE FACELESS LORD Juiblex is not among the most powerful of the demon princes of the Abyss, but it is one of the most infamous and horrific. A viscous mass covered with unblinking eyes and spurting gouts of sludge, it is the lord of oozes, slimes, rot, and decay. Juiblex and its servants wish only to consume and dissolve all living things. Molor, though part of the Faceless lord's realm, is not its home domain.Juiblex dwells within the 222nd layer of the Abyss, called Shedaklah, where it wars for supremacy with Zuggtmoy, the lady of Fungi. The two realms are linked by a number of portals, most of which exist within Juiblex's portion of Shedaklah. AlthoughJuiblex and Zuggtmoy are of roughly equiva­ lent personal power, the Faceless lord has little interest in cults; its few followers are vastly outnumbered by those ofthe lady ofFungi. This disparity keepsJuiblex on the lOSing end of their struggle. The Faceless lord might be eventually forced to retreat to Molor, making that into its new abode. Juiblex is one of the oldest demon lords of the D&D game, haVing appeared as far back as the 1st Edition Monster Manual.

CHAPTER 4

I

Into the Abyss

MAJOR AREAS Nobody has bothered mapping much of Mol or. Still, a few areas are known to those who either dwell within or have studied the region. Dripping Tunnels: Molor is filled with labyrin­ thine tunnels of muck. The ceilings bow precariously, and ooze drips and trickles overhead. Filth of all sorts-stinking waste, diseased refuse, rotten food-is embedded in the walls or flows along the floor in lazy streams. Scholars claim that sewage from through­ out the planes ultimately seeps into Molor's dripping tunnels. Juiblex's Shrine: Somewhere in the heart of Mol­ or's tunnels is a shrine to Juiblex, the Faceless Lord. Here, devoted and powerful cultists pay homage to their infernal master. Juiblex's shrine is said to hold uncounted riches beneath its surface: the offerings of centuries of worshipers who came, placed something before the altar, and watched it sink into the slime. The Maw of Eternity: At the end of a sodden series of tunnels is a cavern called the Maw ofEter­ nity, which features a dripping, IS-foot-wide hole in its center. The place serves as a last resort for inhabit­ ants of the Stinking Realm, particularly denizens of Thullgrime. Demonic beasts infest the tunnels that lead here, plaguing invaders or explorers. However, they seem to sense the desperation and misery of the hopeless and leave such creatures alone, fading into the shadows. The damned are free to skulk through the sucking mud and stand at the lip of the pit. The Maw of Eternity is said to be bottomless­ those who leap in fall forever. Other rumors say that a plummeting wretch ends up somewhere else. To the desperate Thullgrime denizens, either result is acceptable. In fact, anyone that falls into the Maw continues to descend for about ten minutes before passing through an unpredictable portal. It might transport creatures to another, deeper layer of the Abyss one moment and to a different plane the next. Once in a great while, a creature passing through the portal ends up beyond the planes entirely. The few scholars who know about the Maw's portal wonder ifjt leads to Juiblex's origi­ nal realm. Perhaps, long ago, a creature from Beyond crawled up the side of this hole, heaved itself over its lip, and infested a new home. Thullgrime: The only known settlement in Molor, Thullgrime is a collection ofshacks thrown together from rotting fungal fibers, burrowed out of heaps of ooze, or slapped together from garbage. The streets are covered with a sucking, foul-smelling muck. In places, the ground seems alive and drags creatures below; and bones bubble up minutes, hours, or days later. Disease haunts the streets, and maggot-ridden corpses are a common sight.

Cullis Heartrend rules the town. He was the self­ proclaimed king of a small city-state whose name has been lost to history-as have the details of the sins of hubris that caused his soul to wind up here. Cullis's mind snapped long ago, and he lords over this stink­ ing hovel-town as ifit were an opulent empire. Thullgrime's citizens grudgingly do Cullis's bid­ ding-strapping on rusted weapons to go on patrol, shuffling soiled scraps and calling it paperwork, and shambling about on so-called state business. They obey mainly because they fear Cullis's punishment, meted out by a dire creature called the Grollog. This being might have once been an earth-based elemen­ tal that was corrupted by Juiblex's influence. Now, it is a huge, amorphous beast with a great, sucking maw and dripping pits for eyes. It can merge with other oozy material and travel throughout Molor, moving through the floors, walls, or ceilings with only a ripple to denote its passing. The Grollog is somewhat intelligent and can communicate in broken Abyssal and Common. Why it obeys Cullis is anyone's guess; most denizens suspect Juiblex's influence.

ADVENTURES Molor does not welcome visitors. Those who are knowledgeable about the place avoid it unless no other option exists. The characters might need to speak with a person or a creature in ThuIIgrime, or they might track a dangerous cult ofJuiblex to a base here. They might wind up in the Stinking Realm by accident, perhaps crossing over from the winding sewers of a major and magic-rife city in the world, or they could be forced to pass through on their way elsewhere. ENVIRONMENTAL FEATURES

The ever-present, slippery muck makes all but a few of Mol or's surfaces difficult terrain. Cave Slime: Cave slime (Dunaeon Master's Guide, page 67), or its abyssal equivalent, coats many sur­ faces in Molor. Cloudspore: These mushrooms (Dun8eon Master's Guide, page 67) grow among stands of other fungi. Demon Slick: This Oily black slime (page 14) is difficult to discern from the surrounding filth. Grasping Slime: Molor's muck is a perfect loca­ tion for this feature (Dun8eon Master's Guide, page 68). Infectious Pallor: Endemic to Molor, this terrain (page 16) harbors horrifically wasting diseases such as slimy doom (Dun8eon Master's Guide, page 50). Sacred Circle: A few circles (Dun8eon Master's Guide, page 68) dedicated to Juiblex exist throughout the realm . Slides: Many steep areas and sluices of Mol or function as slides (Dun8eon Master's Guide, page 68).

ENCOUNTER GROUPS

Oozes and slimes dwell in Molor, as do creatures of filth and a plethora of demons. Level 5 Encounter (XP 1,000) • 1 gelatinous cube (levelS elite brute, MM 202) • 3 wights (level 5 skirmisher, MM 262) Level 9 Encounter (XP 2,250) • 1 black pudding (level 8 elite brute, Monster Manual 2 172) • 2 carrion crawlers (level 7 controller, MM 40) • 1 gorgon mud hazard (level 8 obstacle, page 18) • 2 otyughs (level 7 soldier, MM 211) Level 17 Encounter (XP 9,000) • 2 abyssal ghouls (level 16 skirmisher, MM 118) • 2 abyssal ghoul hungerers (level 18 minion, MM 119) • 1 acid transformation field hazard· (level 18 obstacle, page 21) • 1 enormous carrion crawler (level 17 elite control­ ler,MM 40) • This functions like an elemental transformation field, but the damage type and transformation are acid instead of fire.

CHAPTER 4

I Into the Abyss

THE PLAINS OF RUST A plain coated in dull red particles stretches beneath an eternal twilight sky in the Abyss. Wide, flat basins and gently rolling dunes give way to towering, mountainous heaps and dark pits of unfathomable depths-all caked with rust flakes. Here and there, jagged sheets of corroded iron protrude from great salt flats cast in a hideous, unnatural light. Winds blow incessantly, stirring the rust into a clinging mist. During the last flare-up of the Blood War, Asmo­ deus's devils built strongholds in the Abyss. They used these great iron fortresses to launch attacks against the near-endless demons. Most of these strongholds were perched on the Plain of a Thousand Portals, but the devils managed to secure footholds in some of the deeper layers. One such layer was a grim, swampy demesne without redeeming features_ It was empty, useless, unimportant. Yet, by a qUirk of planar conjunction, it boasted three intermittent portals to the Nine Hells. Using a cunning ritual, the devils regularized the passages and colonized the area. They built fortresses atop rising hillocks and protruding from the swamp before the demons discovered their presence. The atmosphere of the layer, poisoned by the hideous substances in the swamp, had always been toxic and corrosive. It was not debilitating enough to curtail the devils' plans-at least at first. Upon learn­ ing of the devils' presence, the demon lords Orcus and Juiblex set their will to enhancing the layer's existing environment. Between Orcus's mastery of necrotic energy and Juiblex's command over caustic ooze, the layer's atmosphere became supersaturated with decay. Iron fortifications crumbled in a matter of days , and clouds of rust mushroomed into the air. The grit mixed with the swamp, creating a viscous sludge. As it continued to drift down, it covered every­ thing like a horrific snowfall. In time, the ground became a close-packed rust plain blanketing a highly toxic mire. As the diabolic fortresses crumbled, the demons swarmed, further tainting the rust with the blood of their enemies.

INHABITANTS AND CULTURE No demon lord claims this layer, and the only inhabit­ ants are mindlessly destructive. The essence of slain devils and demons became infused with the necrotic and acidic power of the buried swamp. This mixture gave rise to baleful corrupting undead and malignant constructs that seek to destroy all they encounter. The demon princes send packs of demons here from time to time to ensure that the portals to the Nine Hells remain buried and unusable. Occasional diabolic scouting parties make an effort to reopen the portals_ Mortal explorers have established tem­ porary camps while searching the rusted ruins for ancient magic used during the Blood War. None C HAPTER 4 I Into the Aby s s

of these groups ever survive long enollgh, or grow large enough, to form communities. A Single tribe of humanoids wanders the rust plain like nomads in a desert of the world. No one knows who they are, why they dwell here, and how they have managed to survive.

MAJOR AREAS Sinkholes lead to warrens within the rusty mire, and broken, corroded ruins of diabolic fortresses yet house wonders and horrors alike. The Bloody Fen: Although the realm is pocked with sinkholes, in one expanse the hard -packed rust that covers the plain is thin enough that careless wanderers can sink into the sludge beneath _This so­ called Bloody Fen is miles across, a surviving bit of the toxic mire that once covered the entire layer. Pass­ ersby who stumble into it must either wade through the venomous muck or pole a barge or raft across. All the while, fen -dwelling horrors lurk beneath the semisolid surface. Fort Splinter: Most of the devils' fortresses have been reduced to flakes of rust or a few corroded walls. A few strongholds still stand-not whole , but at least recognizable. The largest of these is Fort Splinter. Legend claims that powerful magiC and numerous artifacts wait to be discovered here, per­ haps even one of the portals to Hell. Tales also speak of the lurking spirits of its diabolic defenders, ready to slaughter a II trespassers. The Palace of Dust: According to accounts from survivors of the Plains of Rust, clouds of particles whipped by the wind occaSionally settle into the form of an ornate palace. Always spotted at a distance, the shape boasts a dozen variegated towers, all sur­ rounded by a bastion that rises and falls like a tide. If it is a mirage, it's a remarkably consistent one. Still, no traveler has been able to draw near the palace before it diSintegrates back to wind-blown dust.

ADVENTURES Encounters can occur anywhere within the Plains of Rust, and the few creatures that dwell here are uni­ versally hostile. Despite its desolate nature, the place attracts interest. Adventurers, devils, and demons seek relics of the Blood War, left behind in the crum­ bling fortresses or buried beneath layers of dust. The peculiar nomadic tribe or chambers within the Palace of Dust could hold great secrets forgotten since the days of the war. Then, too, there are the ancient portals. If one or all three were unearthed, they could once again con­ nect the most vile areas in the cosmos. If so, what might they be used for this time? Characters desper­ ate to escape the Abyss might seek these portals as a way out. H ell isn't a much more pleasant place, but at least devils can be bargained with.

ENVIRONMENTAL FEATURES Most of the plain's surface is solid and is treated as normal terrain. Blood Rust: These areas behave like blood rock (Dun8eon Master's Guide, page 67). Corroding Air: Ferrous metals such as iron and steel corrode swiftly in the Plains of Rust. Each day of exposure, metal weapons take a cumulative -1 penalty to attack rolls made with them (maximum -3), and metal armor and shields take a cumulative -1 penalty to their AC and Reflex bonuses (maxi­ mum -3). Such weapons and armor diSintegrate into rust when the penalty is greater than the object's enhancement bonus. The Enchant Magic Item ritual can be used to repair a magic object that is so dam­ aged but not destroyed, at one-fifth the item's cost. Iron Scraps: The lingering essence of devils or demons might be able to animate portions of iron scraps. Treat the resulting creatures as iron golems or iron golem juggernauts. You can given them a demonic feel by adding variable resistance or making them deal necrotic or fire damage. Rust Cloud: Clouds of rust are kicked up by the winds, creating lightly obscured squares. Rust Storm: The equivaJent of a whirlwind (Dun­ 8eonMaster's Guide, page 69), these squares are also heavily obscured by rust particles. Rust, Shifting: In areas, the rust layer is soft, like fine sand, forming difficult terrain. A few of these

areas include sinkholes that drop passersby into the sludge beneath. The muck might be grasping slime (Dun8eonMaster's Guide, page 68), acidic mire (page 12), or something more dire.

ENCOUNTER GROUPS Common encounters in the Plains of Rust involve the undead and constructs that haunt the region. The characters also could stumble upon demons or devils searching for the layer'S secrets. Level 16 Encounter (XP 7,400) + 1 dust demons (level 15 elite controller, page 132) + 1 demonic slime hazard (level 16 obstacle, Manual ofthe Planes 23) + 3 immoliths (level 15 controller, MM 56) Level 22 Encounter (XP 21,550) + 6 abyssal ghoul myrmidons (level 23 minion, MM 119) + 1 iron golem (level 20 elite soldier, Monster Manual 2 134) + 2 void crust hazards (level 22 obstacle, page 22) Level 25 Encounter (XP 41,000) + 1 abyssal rot fiend (level 26 controller, Monster Manual 2 52) + 2 dread wraiths (level 25 lurker, MM 267) + 1 iron golem juggernaut (level 26 elite soldier, Monster Manual 2 135) CHAPTER 4 I Into the Abyss

THE SPIRES OF RAJZAK

INHABITANTS AND CULTURE

This vast badland of sickening black and brown rock features strange, top-heavy spires and formations of balancing rocks that appear to have been eroded by a long-evaporated sea. Some rock arches form naturally occurring, one -way demongates, allowing creatures from other parts of the cosmos to enter but never to leave. These unfortunates are doomed to die within the horrid canyons of the Spires ofRajzak. This forlorn place is named for its infamous inhab­ itant, the gargantuan Rajzak, a being said to be as powerful as a demon lord but more bestial than the dimmest barlgura. Rajzak hunts this expanse still, killing and devouring any creature it comes across. Many demons also call the Spires home. They roam the area in nomadic groups, waging war against one another, outrunning the rampaging Rajzak, and delighting in the slaughter of those deposited here by demongates.

No settlements exist in the Spires, only masses of demons that hunt the unforgiving badlands. Scores of these groups run riot among the twisted canyons. The more notable groups, along with Rajzak. are detailed here. The Gibberers: Composed not of one horde but a number ofsmaller packs, the Gibberers are a force of raw chaos. Barlguras, evistros, and goristros gather in inexplicable mobs, babbling madness. With gnashing teeth, drooling lips, and rending claws, they rampage through the Spires, destroying everything in their path. At times, bands of these demons work for days to bring down one of the area's massive spires. Their reason for doing so is as unclear as anything else they do. Why do these creatures mass, and why they con­ tinually blather nonsense? Perhaps a strange disease infects them, or the chaos of the Abyss is particularly concentrated here. A few reports describe gibbering orbs accompanying the Gibberers in their wanton destruction. The Inferno of Mescathas: At times, a bright sunrise seems to pierce the gray and bitter sky of the Spires. The inhabitants know that such a dawn brings only fiery doom. A large group ofilllmoliths roams the land in a great naming mass, commanding legions of blazing skeletons and other fiery undead and torching anything that will burn. The incandes­ cent mob is led by Mescathas, an undead fire demon desperately searching for the Greenfire Doorway (see below). He hopes to escape the Abyss and begin a campaign to burn everything to a lifeless cinder. Krazzkat's Horde: The largest of the demonic hordes is under the thrall of the bullying balor Krazz­ kat. A ragtag band comprising all sorts of demons, the mob throngs through the canyons, devouring and slaying as it goes-trampling its weakest members as it pushes through tighter spots. The unruly mass car­ ries Krazzkat atop a huge stone and iron litter, large enough to serve as a base for what he calls his palace. The small construction is little more than a couple of rooms housing the balor and his chieflieutenants. Some observers believe that Krazzkat intends to chal­ lenge Rajzak and absorb its power. Rajzak: Over 80 feet tall and twice as wide, this obese mass of maws, claws, and oozing sores lurches and seeps through the caverns, propelled by dozens of stubby limbs. Parts of Rajzak are reptilian or amphibian, but other sections are indescribable. The foul demon heals at an alarming rate and can regrow limbs lost in battle or to the razor-sharp protrusions of the Spire's cavern walls. Rajzak exists only to eat and destroy-ifit is capa­ ble of speech, none have ever heard it talk.

RAJZ AK'$ OR1G1N According to an obscure a nd cryptic passage in the Demonomicon of Iggwilv (Manual of the Planes, page 131), Rajzak wasn't always a devouring mass of regrowth and mindless rage. It suggests that Rajzak was among the first demon lords to arise after Tharizdun created the Abyss. ~n past eons Rajzak was known by a different name, now lost to the ages, and ruled over the spires that the creature now haunts. That role earned him the sobriquet Lord of the Spires. A demon lord of uncommon beauty and rare guile, he meddled in the politics of the Abyss, the world, and even the Astral Sea. This was his biggest mistake. The Demonomicon asserts that because of Rajzak's meddling, Asmodeus sent Graz'zt to the Abyss to retrieve a second shard of evil, though the reason for the expedition is not clear. Eventually the demon prince came into conflict with Graz'zt, and during their battle the devil was able to tear both the mind and soul from the Lord of the Spires and hide it as an "itinerant hellflame, forever lost." Most scholars believe that Graz'zt began to transform from devil to demon as a result of eons spent within the Abyss, but few suggest that he used a portion of Rajzak's essence to undergo the process. The consensus of those who have studied this passage is that Graz'zt intends to keep his former enemy forever trapped in the Spires of Rajzak, tormented in a mindless form whose soul and bodyare disconnected. Other demo­ nologists believe that the sly Lord of the Spires actually tricked Graz'zt into creating his current form, and that the demon lord is becoming transformed into the most powerful demon prince the cosmos has ever known.

CHAPTER 4 I Into the Abyss

The Thousand Swords: Vestra and Volauk, a pair of marilith sisters, command this group. Vrocks and mezzodemons flock to their banner, sharing their fierce, tactical, and heartless approach to surviving and mastering the Spires. Surprisingly clear-headed for demons, Vestra and Volauk realize that survival in the Spires requires teamwork. They are less spend­ thrift with the lives of their underlings than other demons. They are also more open to parley than others, though they negotiate typically as a pretense to learn the weakness of potential prey. Unlike many of the demons in the Spires, the sis­ ters are not exiles but travel the area in the service of Graz'zt.lfthey know Graz'zt's plan for the Thousand Swords, the sisters do not speak of it. One rumor claims that the Dark Prince is training a special force, and that he has designs on controlling the Spires and making this the fourth layer in his empire.

MAJOR AREAS For the most part, the Spires ofRajzak are a monot­ ony of black dust, teetering rock formations, and deadly bottleneck canyons that make ideal ambush sites. A few areas break this uniformity. The Bastion of Hate: Carved into a mountain­ side by an unknown architect eons ago, the Bastion of Hate is one of the few permanent structures in the Spires ofRajzak. It hums with arcane energy and is impervious to even Rajzak's predations. These features make the fortress a highly desirable base of operations for the hordes that haunt the Spires. Recently, a powerful group ofgithzerai has begun to explore the Bastion of Hate, perhaps with the aim of transforming it into a monastery. The Greenfire Doorway: Among the demon­ gates that dot the Spires of Rajzak, only one promises escape: the Greenfire Doorway. It might be no more than a myth, but the Doorway fills the hopeful thoughts of exiles desperate to leave the Spires. Some theories suggest that it is not a Single passage but a phenomenon that affects one or more of the demon­ gates, wreathing them in a strange green fire when active. Sorrow's Crescent: This massive canyon is some­ times referred to as Rajzak's Nest, but no evidence indicates that the massive demon does more than pass through the place. Over 50 miles long and 20 miles across, it is the largest open area in the Spires. At any given time, at least one demon horde, or Rajzak, occupies Sorrow's Crescent. Demons that spend more than a few hours here heal all wounds. They gain other, random powers when they drink the inky liquid that rolls down the canyon's sides.

V1

ADVENTURES

2

Escaping a demon horde or outrunning the ponder- 0 ous mass of Rajzak can be challenge enough, but ~ anyone trapped in the Spires of Rajzak seeks escape U above all. Several means are available, but all are 0 dangerous or elusive in nature. Finding the Greenfire ~ Doorway is a fool's errand, though many sorry crea< tures eking out an existence in the Spires are happy ~ to sell a "genuine" map to the dcmongate. (These >­ wretches have plenty of inventive excuses for why a::l they haven't used the map to get out.) Still, the place < might exist and could permit release. The githzerai in the Bastion of Hate might offer the best way to escape the Spires-they clearly have a means of exit. The characters would have to win the trust of those suspicious people, however.

ENVIRONMENTAL fEATURES False Gates: A number offalse demongates stand amid the stone arches. They are teleporte rs (Dunaeon Master's Guide, page 69) that only send unfortunates even deeper into the Spires. Loadstone: Many of the protruding rocks and jags throughout the Spires consist of this peculiar sub­ stance (Dunaeon Master's Guide, page 68). Primordial Fonts: These pools of chaotic energy (page 17) bubble up throughout the area. ENCOUNTER GROUPS Demon hordes predominate in the Spires, but undead and other creatures can be found on occasion. Level 14 Encounter (XP 5,400) • 2 immoliths (level 15 controller, MM 56) • 2 abyssal eviscerators (level 14 brute, Monster Manual 2 51) • 2 skull lords (level 10 artillery, MM 236) Level 16 Encounter (XP 7,600) • 3 githzerai mind mages (level 14 artillery, Monster Manual 2 131) • 1 githzerai zerth (level 13 elite controller, Monster Manual 2 130) • 5 githzerai cenobites (level 11 soldier, Monster Manual 2 130) Level 17 Encounter (XP 8,000) • 2 chasmes (level 14 skirmisher, Manual ofthe Planes 121) • 3 vrocks (level 13 skirmisher, MM 58) • 6 mezzodemons (level 11 soldier, MM 58)

CHAPTER 4

I Into the Abyss

CHAPTER 5

EVEN IN the wild and seething Elemental Chaos, life thrives. Such beings appear alien to creatures of the world, but they are driven by the same desires and emotions and are just as dangerous to adventurers as other monsters they are more familiar with. A host of creatures native to the ever-shifting realms of the Plane Below appear in the Monster Manuals and the Manual ofthe Planes books. This chapter expands upon those concepts and adds new ones to fill your campaign with challenges for e1emental-themed adventures. Though all these monsters originated in the Elemental Chaos, they are also found in the mortal world. In this chapter you will find: .. Abominations: Elemental monstrosities that continue to war against the gods and their servants . .. Archons: New archons to serve in primordial armies . .. Blight-Born Demons: Elemental creatures tainted and twisted by the influence of the Abyss . .. Eisk Jaats: Beings of elemental cold enslaved by the frost giants . .. Elementals: More of the wild creatures that embody all the forces of creation . .. Slaads: More additions to the ever-growing roster of the chaotic, illogical slaads . .. Masters of the Elements: Legendary and infamous figures of the Elemental Chaos, including Ehkahk the Smoldering Duke, the revered githzerai Liricosa, and the horrifying Ygorl, ancient slaad lord and champion of entropy.

CHAPTER

5

I

Creatures of Chaos

PRIMEVAL OOZE LORE crafted by the primordials during the Dawn War. Several of those dread weapons continue to roam the Elemental Chaos and beyond, still obeying their ancient instruc­ tions to slaughter the children of the gods.

ABOMINATIONS ARE LIVING WEAPONS

PRIMEVAL OOZE The viscid and mutable primeval ooze is a primi­ tive form oflife, an acid-filled amoeboid blob. Ever hungry, it bubbles with envy of all more advanced creatures. Primeval Ooze

Level 24 Elite Brute

Hu g(' l'1l'1I1l'lIt.JIIl(',,,t I I1lillt! . 1I0/l')

XI' 12.100

Initiative +17

Senses Perception +18; blindsight 20, tremorsense 20 Seeping Sludge aura 3; the aura's area is difficult terrain. Any creature that has a critical hit scored against it while within the aura is knocked prone. HP 556; Bloodied 278 AC 36; Fortitude 40, Reflex 36, Will 37 Immune gaze, poison; Resist 30 acid Saving Throws +2 Speed 5, burrow 5; see also engUlf Action Points 1 ® Pseudopod (standard; at-will) Acid Reach 3; +27 vs. AC; 3d8 + 9 acid damage, and the ooze slides the target 2 squares. ~ Engulf (standard; at-will) Acid The primeval ooze attacks one or two Large or smaller targets; +25 vs. Reflex (no attack roll required against an immobilized creature); the target is grabbed and pulled into the primeval ooze's space. The target is dazed and takes ongoing 20 acid damage until it escapes the grab. A creature that escapes the grab shifts to a square of its choosing adjacent to the primeval ooze. A primeval ooze can move normally while creatures are engulfed within it. (0 Bursting Cyst (Immediate reaction, when damaged by an attack; at-will) Acid Close blast 4; targets the triggering attacker; +25 vs. Reflex; 1d8 + 6 acid damage, and ongoing 10 acid damage (save ends). Torrent of Slime (standard: at-will) Acid Area burst 3 within 20; +25 vs. Reflex; 1d8 + 10 acid damage, and the target is immobi lized (save ends). Alignment Unaligned Languages understands Primordial Skills Stealth +27 Str 25 (+19) Dex 21 (+17) Wis 23 (+18) Con 28 (+21) Int 7 (+10) Cha 17 (+15)

+

+

+

"*

+

PRIMEVAL OOZE TACTICS The ground surrounding a primeval ooze is covered in a slimy sheen, makiIlg enemies more vulnerable to its attacks. Primeval oozes soften up their oppo­ nents using torrent ofslime, then engulfimmobilized victims.

C HAPTER 5

I

Creatures of Chaos

Arcana DC 24: Primeval oozes are weapons of the primordials, crafted from the earliest forms of life to consume servants of the gods. Only a few pri­ meval oozes were created . Most that remain dwell in remote regions of the Elemental Chaos, but some lurk in desolate wilds of the world, always on the hunt for prey. Though they are unable to speak, the horrors understand Primordial. Arcana DC 29: A primeval ooze conceals itself in a slimy place, such as a stinking swamp in Canaugh­ lin Bog, and waits for prey to come unsuspecting to it. When roused, though, it roams the wastelands, devouring everything it encounters-from puny gob­ lins to mighty dragons.

ENCOUNTER GROUPS Primeval oozes are usually solitary but can travel in pairs or small groups. Sometimes an ooze learns to share the territory of certain elemental creatures, realizing that leaving this prey alone ultimately brings it more food.

UN1QUE ABOM1NAT10 NS Many abominations were created in numbers, even if only a handful still exist. Some, though. are unique indi­ viduals created by primordials that either intended them for a specific purpose or simply couldn't be bothered to make more. The most infamous of these unique abominations is the tarrasque (Monster Manual, page 13), though some myths suggest that more than one such creature might exist. If the natural realm contains multiple worlds, as they claim, perhaps each such world harbors its own tarrasque. For all practical purposes, however, the beast is unique_ Xixecal, the living Glacier, is another such unique abomination. This roving servant of Solkara, the Crushing Wave, is detailed further on page 153. Other unique abominations known to exist include the following. Annak-Kur, the Empty Blade: The most potent servant of the now deceased Tabrach-Ti, the Queen of Bronze. Annak-Kur is a creature of ore and blades that roams the cosmos seeking out angels and other divine servitors to slay. Engakar, Twilight's Herald: Nobody today knows what Engakar looks like, for it exists only as a name in ancient texts. Engakar is said to have been created not to battle the gods, but to destroy the primal spirits that barred both the gods and the primordials from the world. Thrasvarrun, the Screaming Storm: A creature with­ out physical form, Thrasvarrun is literally a living peal of thunder, traveling the skies from storm to storm. It adds its own power to that of nature, creating weather of inconceivable destructive force.

Levell3 Encounter (XP 28,350) • 2 blood fiends (level 23 soldier, MM 12) • 1 great flameskull (level 24 artillery, MM 109) • 1 primeval ooze (level 24 elite brute)

STORM T HAT WALKS A storm that walks is the fury of the elements given destructive purpose. It takes the form of a mass of dark, bOiling clouds with a vaguely humanoid shape, flickering with lightning and spawning ice storms with each immense step. Storm That Walks

Level 18 Solo Controller

l.drgilntu"n dc-llIl'n\,ll humanOid (,m. (old , 111(, )

XI' 6S .000

Initiative +22 Senses Perception +21; low·light vision Oncoming Storm aura 5; creatures (including flying creatures) treat the area within the aura as difficult terrain. Each enemy within the aura gains vulnerable 10 lightning. HP 1,008; Bloodied 504 AC 42; Fortitude 41. Reflex 38, Will 40 Immune lightning; Resist 20 cold, 20 lightning, 20 thunder. insubstantial; Vulnerable cold (if a storm that walks takes cold damage, it loses the insubstantial quality until the end of its next turn) Saving Throws +5 Speed fly 8 (hover) Action Points 2 CD Pummeling Gust (standard; at-will) • Cold Reach 4; +32 vs. Reflex; 3d6 + 11 cold damage, and the target is knocked prone. @ Tongue of Lightning (standard; at·will) • Lightning Ranged 20; +32 vs. Fortitude; 3d6 + 11 lightning damage. and the target is dazed (save ends). Each Failed Savin8 Throw: Each ally adjacent to the target takes 10 lightning damage. '" I ~ Forked Tongue (standard; at-will) The storm that walks makes four basic attacks. It cannot attack the same target more than twice. ~ Fist of the Storm (minor; recharge [;:;J ~ 1Ul) • Cold, Lightning Ranged 20; +32 vs. Reflex; 4d6 + 11 cold and lightning damage. and the target is restrained (save ends). Each Failed Savln8 Throw: The storm that walks slides the target 3 squares. 0(- Raging Storm (minor; recharge 1TIl~[j]). Lightning. Thunde Close burst 3; +32 vs. Fortitude; 4d6 + 11 lightning and thunder damage, and the storm that walks pushes the target 4 squares and knocks it prone. Storm Unleashed (free. when first bloodied; encounter) + Cold. Lightning. Thunder Raging storm and hand ofthe storm recharge. and the storm that walks uses them both. Alignment Chaotic evil Languages Primordial Str 30 (+24) Dex 27 (+22) Wls 24 (+21) (on 20(+19) Int16(+17) Cha16(+17)

STORM THAT WALKS TACTICS A storm that walks prefers to remain at a distance and obliterate foes with ranged attacks. It is smart enough to cooperate with aHies, but its desire to destroy often overcomes its better sense. It seizes any opportunity to use ra8in8 storm, even if it catches an ally in the area of effect.

STORM THAT WALKS LORE Arcana DC 28: A storm that walks is a literal thunderstorm given malevolent life. Any who get too close become more vulnerable to its devastating attacks. After creating the first storm that walks, the primordials began to experiment with crafting the elemental soldiers known as archons. Arcana DC 33: Different legends attribute the origin of the first storm that walks to Mual·Tar, the Thunder Serpent, or to Iktha-Lau, the Ever Empty. Perhaps the two cooperated in its creation. Today, these abominations hold no allegiance to any primordial. ENCOUNTER GROUPS A storm that walks hates all nonelementalliving things and barely tolerates the presence of other crea­ tures. It sometimes works as a member of a group for the opportunity to destroy more victims. It attracts elemental creatures that share its nature and might even let them live. Level 29 Encounter (XP 91,000) • 2 storm gorgons (level 26 skirmisher, MM 143) • 1 storm that walks (level 28 solo controller) • 1 thunderblast cyclone (level 26 artillery, MM 105)

CHAPTER 5

I

Creatures of Chaos

Iron Archon Crescent Blade Medium elefllt' llt a l human o id

the archons formed armies to stand against the forces of the gods during the Dawn \Nar. After their creators fell, the archons continued to serve powerful beings of the Elemental Chaos. They even follow other crea­ tures that support their cause: to restore rulership of the world to the primordials.

SHOCK TROOPS AND SOLDIERS OF Tl-IE PRIMORDIALS,

IRON A R CHON The most violent of their kind, iron archons are quick to initiate bloodshed. Iron Archon Interceptor

Level 14 Soldier .

Medium e lement,ll hum,lIloid

XP 1.000 :

Initiative +14 Senses Perception +12 HP 144; Bloodied 72; see also blood rust AC 30 (28 while bloodied); Fortitude 28, Reflex 26 (25 while bloodied), Will 26 Immune disease, poison; Resist 15 lightning; see also 1i8htnin8 leap Speed 6 CD Greatsword (standard: at-will) + Weapon +21 vs. AC; 2d1 0 + 4 damage, and the target is marked until the end of the iron archon interceptor's next turn. Intercepting Slash (immediate interrupt. when an enemy marked by the interceptor and within 3 squares of it makes an attack that does not include the interceptor; at-will) + Weapon The iron archon interceptor shifts into the nearest empty square adjacent to the target and makes an attack; +21 vs. AC; 2d10 + 4 damage, and the target is weakened until the end of the interceptor's next turn. Blood Rust (while bloodied) + Polson The iron archon interceptor is filmed in a poisonous rust and flies into a rage. It takes a -2 penalty to AC and a -1 penalty to Reflex, and targets hit by its weapon attacks also take ongoing 10 poison damage (save ends). Lightning Leap Whenever an iron archon interceptor is hit by a lightning power or is subject to an effect that deals lightning damage, it can shift 3 squares as a free action. Alignment Chaotic evil Languages Primordial Wls 20 (+12) Str 22 (+13) Dex 20 (+12) Con 24(+14) Int15 (+9) Cha15(+9) Equipment greatsword

+

IRON ARCHON INTERCEPTOR TACTICS An interceptor chooses a foe and sticks with it. How­ ever, even when focused on a given target, it chooses a position that lets it move to flank, or tempts a marked enemy into drawing an interceptin8 slash.

IRON ARCHON CRESCENT BLADE TACTICS Crescent blades are opportunistic attackers. They deliberately draw the ire of melee strikers, then leap away and wait for a chance to attack any targets marked by allies such as iron archon interceptors. C HAPTER 5 I Creatures of Chaos

Level 16 Skirmisher XP 1.400

Initiative +17 Senses Perception +13 HP 159; Bloodied 79; see also blood rust AC 30 (28 while bloodied); Fortitude 29, Reflex 30 (29 while bloodied), Will 28 Immune disease, poison; Resist 15 lightning; see also 1i8htnin8 leap

Speed 8 CD Sickle (standard; at-will) + Weapon +21 vs. AC; 1d8 + 7 damage (2d8 + 7 against marked targets). Twin Sickles (standard; at-will) The iron archon crescent blade makes two sickle attacks. It can shift before, between, or after these attacks, up to a total of 2 squares. Roll With It (immediate reaction, when hit by a melee or close attack; recharge ~-!l and when first bloodied) The iron archon crescent blade shifts its speed. If it ends this movement in a space adjacent to a marked enemy, it can then make a sickle attack against a marked enemy as a free action. Blood Rust (while bloodied) + Polson The iron archon crescent blade is filmed in a poisonous rust and flies into a rage. It takes a -2 penalty to AC and a -1 penalty to Reflex, and targets hit by its weapon attacks also take ongoing 10 poison damage (save ends). Lightning Leap Whenever an iron archon crescent blade is hit by a lightning power or is subject to an effect that deals lightning damage. it can shift 3 squares as a free action. Alignment Chaotic evil Languages Primordial Dex 25 (+15) Wls 21 (+13) Str 21 (+13) Con 23 (+14) Int 17 (+11) Cha 15 (+10) Equipment two sickles

+

+

IRON ARCHON LORE Arcana DC 20: Iron archons are aggressive fight­ ers that rarely take on defensive assignments such as guard duty. They are brutally direct but use limited tactics to gain an advantage. Arcana DC 25: Crescent blades are masters of exploiting foes' weaknesses. They slash with their twin sickles against any enemy whose attention is drawn to an ally that marked it. Iron archons were not among the first creations of the primordials. They appeared later, inspired by the mortal races' discovery of crafting weapons from iron and other metals.

MUD ARCHON Every army needs scouts, ambushers, and assas· sins. Although mud archons are capable of stand-up combat, they excel at the stealthy strategies of guer­ rilla warfare.

MUD ARCHON SKULKER TACTICS A mud archon skulker prefers to lie in wait in sliding mud form, using shiftin8 mud to attack without losing combat advantage. It assumes its normal form to attack a prone target, then reverts to its sliding mud form and attempts to hide so it can repeat the attack.

Mud Archon Skulker

Level 14 Lurker

M"lil ulll (, lc'"](, ,,t,ll humanoid I('drt ll . \II"I"rl

xr

1. 0 00

Initiative +16 Senses Perception +11 HP 112; Bloodied 56 AC 28; Fortitude 27, Reflex 26, Will 25 Immune disease, poison Speed 7 (swamp walk); see also slidin8 mud form CD Spiked Chain (standard; at-will) + Weapon Reach 2; +19 vs. AC; 2d4 + 6 damage, and the target is knocked prone. Shifting Mud (free, when the mud archon skulker moves into an enemy's space; only while in sliding mud form; at-will) Targets the triggering enemy; +17 vs_ Reflex; the target is knocked prone and immobilized until the end of the skulker's next turn. Sliding Mud Form (standard; at-will) + Polymorph The mud archon skulker transforms into an oozelike mass of mud. While in sliding mud form, the skulker is insubstantial and can attempt to become hidden if it has cover or concealment. While squeezing in this form, it moves at full speed, provokes no opportunity attacks for squeezing, and does not take a -5 penalty to attack rolls for squeezing. It can shift 4 squares as a move action and can move through enemies' spaces during this move. it cannot manipulate objects or make attacks except for its shiftin8 mud power. The mud archon skulker can revert to its normal form as a minor action. Strike the Fallen Whenever a mud archon skulker hits a prone enemy with a melee attack, it deals 2d8 extra damage. Alignment Chaotic evil languages Primordial Skills Acrobatics +17, Stealth +17 Str 23 (+13) Dex 20 (+12) Wls18(+11) Con 22 (+13) Int 1S (+9) Cha 13 (+8) Equipment: scale armor, spiked chain

+

MUD ARCHON AMBUSHER TACTICS An ambusher uses mud spray as often as possible to keep in motion and gain combat advantage. It often uses splatter to move adjacent to its attacker, though it sometimes exploits the additional movement to deal with a pesky controller or ranged combatant.

MUD ARCHON LORE Arcana DC 20: Mud archons are the scouts and assassins of the archons, favoring ambush and stealth. Arcana DC 25: Pinning down a mud archon is exceedingly dif­ ficult. Skulkers can transform into mobile mud, and ambushers can splatter apart and re-form at a distance.

ENCOUNTER GROUPS Like other archons, iron and mud archons work with almost any creature if doing so advances their goals or if they are ordered to do so by a higher power.

Mud Archon Ambusher

Level 19 Skirmisher

M"d llllll l' ll' rn e fl t,l l hu"u 'Hliri IC' ,1' th oWdl e' r l

xr 1 ,400

Initiative +17 Senses Perception +14 HP 183; Bloodied 91 AC 33; Fortitude 32, Reflex 31, Will 30 Immune disease, poison Speed 7 (swamp walk); see also mud spray CD Longsword (standard; at-will) + Weapon +24 vs. AC; 2d8 + 7 damage, and the target is slowed until the

end of the mud archon ambusher's next turn.

Mud Spray (move: recharge [;::1 [fi]) + Polymorph The mud archon ambusher transforms into a spray of mud and shifts its speed. During this move, it ignores difficult terrain and can move through enemies' spaces. At the end of the move, it reverts to its normal form. Each enemy adjacent to it at the end of the move grants combat advantage to the ambusher until the end of the ambusher's next turn. Splatter (free, when a critical hit is scored against the mud archon ambusher or when it is first bloodied: at-will) Mud spray recharges, and the ambusher uses it. Combat Advantage A mud archon ambusher deals 2d6 extra damage against any creature granting combat advantage to it. Alignment Chaotic evil languages Primordial Skills Acrobatics +20, Stealth +20 Str25 (+16) Dex22(+15) Wls 20(+14) Con 23 (+15) Int 15 (+11) Cha 15 (+11) Equipment: scale armor, 2 longswords

Level 14 Encounter (XP 5,400)

+ 2 earth archon ground ragers (level 14 controJler, Monster Manual 2 14)

+ 1 iron archon crescent blade (level 16 skirmisher) + 2 iron archon interceptors (level 14 soldier) Level 18 Encounter (XP 10,400)

+ 1 ice archon rimehammer (level 19 soldier, MM 20) + 2 mud archon ambushers (level 19 skirmisher) + 1 storm archon tempest weaver (level 21 artillery, Monster Manual 2 17)

z

o

:r: u a::

«

Dust Demon

Level 15 Elite Controller

Larg(' ,,1"11]('111,11 lllagir"llw,"1 ("ir. uelllo"i

FROM THE MOMENT THAT THE FESTERING CYST of the Abyss was formed. horrors unimaginable came into existence. Demons slouched from that tainted womb. and its corruption twisted primordials into demon princes. But other inhabitants of the Elemental Chaos were also poisoned by utter evil. Djinns and efreets. archons and elementals. even slaads were caught in the horrific and unholy emanations. Like the demon lords. these creatures were either transformed into their vile forms at the creation of the Abyss or are descendants of others who were. They are the blight-born . demons of the purest ele­ ments made anything but pure.

DUST DEMON The aftermath of the Abyss's creation engulfed a tribe ofdjinns. scouring away portions of their flesh and souls until they were little more than sentient wind and bits ofdebris. The resulting blight·born demons. known as dust demons. appear as whirlwinds ofdirt. dust. teeth. and broken bone that whip through one another so that it is impossible to tell where one ends and the next begins. Driven insane by their transformation. dust demons kill and maim out ofendless rage directed against all creatures that do not suffer as they do.

DUST DEMON TACTICS A dust demon whirls through and around its prey. attempting to catch one or two foes in its whirlwind sweep while pummeling the others with basic attacks. It releases some of its constituent dust wisps to over­ whelm a single target that is near death. vulnerable to damage. or close to a cliff edge or other hazard . If a dust demon is bloodied by an enemy. it releases a blast ofwind that forces the attacker away.

+

Dust Wisp

DUST DEMON LORE Arcana DC 18: Dust demons are the result of a family of djinns that were partly torn apart by abyssal forces; their remains were corrupted into blight-born demons. A dust demon consists of several entities bound together in its unholy winds. some of which escape the windstorm in times of stress to wreak indi­ vidual havoc. Arcana DC 23: Dust demons have no real society. Their constituent wisps hunger only to shred and destroy. The souls of creatures that die while swept up in a dust demon plunge into the Abyss, forever to suffer as the playthings of demons. But if a dust wisp could be captured. healed of its madness and taint, and returned to the dust demon of which it is a part. the entire djinn tribe would be cleansed-or so the legend goes. CHAPTER 5

I

Creatures of Chaos

XI' 2,1100

Initiative +14 Senses Perception +11; darkvision Buffeting Winds aura 5; each creature in the aura takes a -1 penalty to attack rolls with ranged and area attacks. HP 196; Bloodied 148 AC 19; Fortitude 17. Reflex 19, Will 15 Resist 10 variable (3/encounter), half damage from melee and ranged attacks; Vulnerable 10 against close and area attacks Saving Throws +1 Speed fly 10 (hover) Action Points 1 CD Wind and Thunder (standard: at-will) + Thunder Reach 1; +19 vs. Fortitude: 1d8 + 7 damage plus 1d8 thunder damage. and the dust demon slides the target 3 squares. The dust demon can then shift 1 square or move 3 squares as a free action. Whirlwind Sweep (standard; at-will) + Thunder The dust demon moves half its speed and can move through enemies' spaces. This movement does not provoke opportunity attacks. At any point during the move, it makes an attack against a large or smaller creature within reach: reach 1; +19 vs. Reflex; the target is grabbed and pulled into the dust demon's space. Until the grab ends, the target is dazed and takes ongoing 10 damage and ongoing 5 thunder damage. When the grab ends, the target shifts to a square of its choice adjacent to the dust demon. A dust demon can grab one large creature, two Medium creatures, or four Small or smaller creatures, and it can move normally while it has creatures grabbed. Dust Horde (standard: encounter) Five dust wisps appear, each in an unoccupied square within 1 squares of the dust demon. Each wisp takes a move action and a standard action right away and thereafter acts immediately after the dust demon's initiative count. When a dust wisp is reduced to 0 hit points, the dust demon that created it takes 5 damage. Characters do not earn experience points for killing dust wisps created by this power. Bloodied Winds (when flrst bloodied by an attack: encounter) The dust demon slides the triggering attacker 4 squares. Alignment Chaotic evil Languages Abyssal. Primordial Str 18 (+11) 0014(+14) W1s10(+11) Con 10 (+11) Int 14 (+9) Cha 17 (+10)

Small "If'mpiltal hum']l1(Jid

Level 15 Minion Controller (dir,

demon)

XI' 300

Initiative +14 Senses Perception +11; darkvislon Buffeting Winds aura 1; each creature within the aura takes a -1 penalty to attack rolls with ranged and area attacks. HP 1: a missed attack never damages a minion. AC 19; Fortitude 17, Reflex 19, Will 15 Speed fly 10 (hover) CD Wind and Thunder (standard: at-will) + Thunder +19 vs. Fortitude; 7 damage plus 4 thunder damage, and the dust wisp slides the target 3 squares. The dust wisp can then shift 1 square or move 3 squares as a free action. Alignment Chaotic evil Languages Abyssal. Primordial

Str18(+11) Dex14(+14) Wis10(+11)

Con 10 (+11) Int 14 (+9) Cha 17 (+10)

ASH -WROUGHT S OULBURNER

CONSUM PTIVE SWA R M

Formerly efreets, ash-wrought soulburners feed on the warmth ofliving beings. Though they burn flesh, their feeding drains body heat, leaving behind icy corpses rather than cinders. Ash-Wrought Soulburner

Level 19 Controller XP 1,400

Llrgl' eil'rlll'llt,]1 hUrll,lIlo id (cil'moll. fin')

Initiative +1 S Senses Perception +13; darkvision HP 178; Bloodied 89 AC 31; Fortitude 31, Reflex 31, Will 31 Resist 1 S fire , 1 S variable (1/encounter); Vulnerable cold (an ash­ wrought soulburner that takes cold damage is slowed until the end of its next turn) Speed 8, fly 8 (clumsy) (f) Chilling Fist (standard; at-will) + Cold Reach 1; +14 vs. AC; 3d6 + 8 cold damage. @ Soulflre Theft (standard; at-will) + Cold Ranged lS; +13 vs. Fortitude; 1d10 + 8 cold damage, and the target takes ongoing S cold damage and is slowed (save ends both). When any creature fails a saving throw against this power, the ash-wrought soulburner recharges either burniny ash storm or sou/fire inferno. ~ Soulflre Inferno (standard; encounter) Fire Ranged lS; +13 vs. Reflex; ld8 + 7 fire damage, and ongoing 10 fire damage (save ends). -i~ Burning Ash Storm (standard; encounter) + Fire, Zone Area burst 2 within 1 S; the burst creates a zone of burning ash that lasts until the end of the ash-wrought soulburner's next turn. Any creature that starts its turn within the zone takes 2d6 + 3 fire damage. The zone blocks line of Sight. Sustain Minor: The zone persists, and the soulburner can move it 3 squares. Alignment Chaotic evil Languages Abyssal, Primordial Skills Intimidate +20 Wis 9 (+8) Str 25 (+16) Dex 22 (+15) Con 18 (+13) Int 11 (+9) Cha 23 (..._ +1 5.;.,_ _....... )

+

ASH-WROUGHT SOULBURNER

TACTICS The soulburner begins combat with its encounter powers, using burnin8 ash storm to protect itself and gain cover from enemies and soulfire inferno against a dangerous foe. It then falls back to soulfire theft to recharge its more powerful attacks while sustaining burnin8 ash storm.

Prolonged exposure to the Abyss normally trans­ forms slaads into void slaads, but those that were bathed in energy at the birth of the Abyss were more dramatically altered. From those first warped slaads burst swarms of ravenous parasites combining the worst aspects of slaad tadpoles and demons. Consumptive Swarm

Arcana DC 22: Ash-wrought soulburners are elemental creatures that were corrupted into blight­ born demons by the creation of the Abyss. They were once efreets, but the abyssal taint has caused their inner fires to go out. Now they must draw heat and life energy from other beings to survive. Arcana DC 27: Ice devils sometimes enslave ash-wrought soulburners. Their chill nature give the devils a natural advantage over the heat-starved demons.

z o

a

--------'

Consumptive Parasite Smal l elcrll(,llldl

ASH-WROUGHT SOULBURNER LORE

Levell1 Elite Skirmisher

Ldrge el"nl!'lltdl beJ~t (demon, ~wilrrn) XP 6,40 0 :2 Initiative +20 Senses Perception +lS; darkvision UJ Swarm Attack (Acid) aura 1; each enemy that starts its turn within the aura takes 7 acid damage. HP 400; Bloodied 200 AC 3S; Fortitude 33, Reflex 34, Will 30 Immune disease; Resist 20 variable (3/encounter), half damage from melee and ranged attacks; Vulnerable 1 S against close and area attacks Saving Throws +2 Speed 6; see also aqueous shift Action Points 1 (±) Swarm ofJaws (standard; at-will) + Disease +26 vs. AC; 3d6 + 9 damage, and the swarm makes a secondary attack against the target. Secondary Attack: +24 vs. Fortitude; the target is exposed to slimy doom (DMG SO). t Ravenous Stampede (standard; at-will) + Acid, Disease The consumptive swarm shifts its speed and makes an attack against each creature it moves adjacent to during the move: +14 vs. Reflex; 1d6 + 3 damage plus 1d6 + 3 acid damage, and the swarm makes a secondary attack against the target. Secondary Attack: +24 vs. Fortitude; the target is exposed to slimy doom (DMG SO). ~ Consumptive Spew (standard; recharges when first bloodied) + Acid Close blast S; +24 vs. Reflex; 4d6 + 9 acid damage, and ongoing S acid damage (save ends). Effect: Six consumptive parasites appear, each in an unoccupied square within or adjacent to the blast. They act immediately after the consumptive swarm's initiative count. Characters do not earn experience points for killing consumptive parasites created by this power. Currents of Chaos (minor; at-will) The consumptive swarm shifts 1 square. Aqueous Shift A consumptive swarm ignores difficult terrain while shifting. Alignment Chaotic evil Languages understands Abyssal Str 18 (+14) Dex 26 (+18) Wls 21 (+15) Con 24 (+17) Int 3 (+6) Cha 9 (+9)

bl'd~1

Level 16 Minion Skirmisher

(ell'moll)

XI' 1',0

Initiative +1 S Senses Perception +12 ; darkvislon HP 1; a missed attack never damages a minion. AC 30; Fm·titude 28, Reflex 29, Will 27 Immune disease; Resist 1S variable (2/encounter) Speed 6; see also chaotic shift (±) Digestive Bite (standard; encounter) + Acid +19 vs. Fortitude; 4 acid damage, and the target gains vulnerable S acid (save ends). Chaotic Shift (move; at-will) The consumptive parasite shifts 2 squares. Alignment Chaotic evil Languages understands Abyssal Str9(+7) Dex24(+lS) Wls19(+12) Con 21 (+13) Int 3 (+4) Cha 9 (+7)

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CHAPTER 5

I

Creatures of Chaos

CONSUMPTIVE SWARM TACTICS A consumptive swarm begins combat with consump­ tive spew, adding minions that weaken foes against its acidic attacks. It then moves into melee, continually shifting to stay near weaker targets and keep them in its acidic aura while avoiding tougher combatants. Once it is bloodied, it uses consumptive spew again as soon as possible. Consumptive parasites prefer to gang up on one foe and take advantage offlanking opportunities. vVhen fighting alongside a parent swarm, they move to keep dangerous foes away from it. CONSUMPTIVE SWARM LORE Arcana DC 20: The consumptive swarm is one of the blight-born, demons resulting from the cor­ ruption of elemental creatures at the birth of the Abyss. The parasites that make up the swarm are warped slaad tadpoles. Although they are incapable of speech, they understand the Abyssal tongue. Arcana DC 25: Intelligent slaads approve of the demonic transformation, reveling in the opportunity for even their indirect spawn to infest creation. More than one slaad-worshiping cult has been destroyed by misguided attempts to breed consumptive parasites.

SlBL1NG R1VALR Y Blight-born demons and chaos shards (Monster Manual 2. page 34) are both spawned at the boundary of the Abyss. ~here its corrupting power bleeds into and warps the Elemental Chaos. While the blight-born are elemental creatures twisted by the Abyss. chaos shards are crys­ tals of the Plane Below that were not only corrupted but given life by abyssal energy. Given their innately chaotic evil and destructive instincts. the two groups of creatures are unlikely to have any particular affinity to one another. Sages were surprised to discover, though, that each harbors a mur­ derous, undying hatred toward the other. Blight-born and chaos shards sometimes work with creatures that can advance their destructive agendas, such as other demons, slaads, and elementals, but neither group will ally with the other, even abandoning other efforts to attack that enemy on Sight. Nothing less than utter extermination of the hated group will satisfy the creatures' rage. Some theories speculate that the two sorts of beings are competitors for the same territory and position in the Elemental Chaos. Others suggest that each sees the other as an inferior copy of itself, an impure mockery to be annihilated.

CHAPTER 5

I Creatures of Chaos

WRITHING CRAG Hideous amalgamations ofjagged stone, writhing crags love the feel of flesh and bone being crushed beneat h their flailing limbs. They have traits of both ropers and xorns and might be descended from either-or perhaps both, fused by the same corruptive taint that transformed them into demons. Writhing Crag Level 23 Elite Soldier Hug,' "kll1